In recent developments, a former TikTok worker has made claims that the company tried to conceal its ties to ByteDance, its Chinese owner. According to Fortune, Evan Turner, a former senior data scientist at TikTok, stated that he was assigned to a manager in Seattle who he never met during his time at the company. This move was allegedly an attempt to hide the fact that he was being managed by a Beijing-based ByteDance executive.
Turner worked at TikTok from April to September 2022 and claims that during his tenure, he had weekly meetings with the Beijing-based executive to discuss his progress on tasks. However, Turner was told by TikTok executives that he was under the management of an American in Seattle. He criticized what he saw as an opaque management structure and said it contradicted what TikTok executives had previously claimed about the company operating independently from ByteDance.
TikTok spokesperson denied Turner’s claims and accused Fortune of relying on individuals with hidden motives to spread false information. The controversy comes as TikTok faces potential legislation that could force ByteDance to sell the app to non-Chinese owners. A bill passed by the House last month threatens a ban on TikTok in app stores unless a sale is made. US lawmakers have expressed concerns about the app being “controlled” by foreign entities and posing security risks to the US. Despite this, TikTok has maintained that it operates independently from ByteDance and has attempted to distance itself from its Chinese owner.
