ByteDance has recently restricted China engineers’ access to code bases and sensitive data of the company’s overseas products, including but not limited to its flagship app TikTok, as it faces scrutiny over ties to Beijing, tech outlet PingWest reported on June 7, citing confidential sources.
According to the article, ByteDance has been working on an “internal technical firewall” since 2019, managed by its security and legal teams.
ByteDance declined to comment when reached by KrASIA.
The move is part of ByteDance’s ongoing effort to distance TikTok from its Chinese parent company, amid increasing US pressure. The company announced in March that it will open a “Transparency Center” in its Los Angeles office, allowing outside experts to observe the team’s content moderation work. The project has currently been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This article is part of KrASIA’s “China Brief” section, where KrASIA’s reporters will provide quick daily updates about the tech ecosystem in China.