TikTok has denied that its data, or algorithm, is accessed by the Chinese state. Last year it was reported that the US tech firm Oracle had begun auditing TikTok’s algorithms and content moderation models to ensure they were not being manipulated by Chinese authorities.
Bytedance is parent company with numerous high level Chinese Communist Party officials directly tied to or involved with it. They likely try to use the "parent company" as cover for the "separately run subsidiary Tik-Tok" which really is not really "separately run". No company operates within China without being directly monitored and controlled by the CCP. TikTok thinks you are dumb.
"‘Spy balloon in your phone’: growing calls to ban TikTok threaten its future": https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/mar/03/spy-balloon-phone-growing-calls-ban-tiktok-threaten-future
Bytedance is parent company with numerous high level Chinese Communist Party officials directly tied to or involved with it. They likely try to use the "parent company" as cover for the "separately run subsidiary Tik-Tok" which really is not really "separately run". No company operates within China without being directly monitored and controlled by the CCP. TikTok thinks you are dumb.
ByteDance web page has disabled "About Us" link: https://www.bytedance.com/en/
Wikipedia page updated two days ago. They continue to scrub: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ByteDance