Current and former employees say TikTok US still coordinates closely with the global TikTok org, and US staff continue to use ByteDance's internal chat app Lark

The data accessible via Lark may be subject to Chinese data access laws, creating a continued risk for US user data.

Current and former TikTok US employees report ongoing close coordination with the global TikTok organization. Despite claims of operational separation for the U.S. market, staff in the United States continue to utilize Lark, ByteDance's internal chat application. This practice persisted even in the lead-up to a potential sale of TikTok's U.S. assets to investors favored by the Trump administration. The use of Lark, a ByteDance-controlled platform, raises questions about the extent to which TikTok's U.S. operations remain integrated with its parent company's infrastructure and data handling practices. Employee accounts suggest a continued reliance on systems managed by ByteDance, contradicting assurances of an independent U.S. entity.

The continued use of ByteDance's Lark chat app by TikTok's U.S. employees signals a potential disconnect between public assurances of operational independence and the reality of integrated infrastructure. This reliance on a ByteDance-controlled platform suggests that data flows and internal communications may still be subject to oversight from the parent company. Such a situation fuels ongoing concerns regarding data privacy and security for U.S. users, as ByteDance operates under Chinese jurisdiction.

This ongoing integration through tools like Lark could complicate any future divestiture or regulatory efforts aimed at isolating TikTok's U.S. operations. It implies that even a sale of the U.S. entity might not fully sever ties with ByteDance's systems, leaving a potential backdoor for data access or influence. Investors and regulators will likely scrutinize these persistent links, potentially impacting the valuation and regulatory standing of TikTok's U.S. business.