For years, TikTok has told lawmakers that the private data of its U. ” But seven current and former employees who spoke to Forbes — anonymously for fear of retribution from ByteDance or their contracting company — said that security at the sites is variable and lax. Prior to joining Forbes, I worked for the news agency Storyful as its Asia Editor working from its Hong Kong bureau, and as a Senior Editor in London, where I reported on breaking news stories from around the world, with a special focus on how misinformation and disinformation spreads on social media platforms