TikTok's Chinese ownership means that data gathered from the app's users anywhere could potentially be available to the Chinese government. "Ultimately the Chinese government can compel companies to turn over their data, but this does not always happen," says Samm Sacks, a data-security policy analyst. "In China there is no guarantee that the government cannot access data because China’s system lacks clarity of law, oversight mechanisms and clear pathways for contestation."
The actual risks are under debate among legislators and policy makers. Concerns about China's reach has led to bans on the use of TikTok by Transport Security Administration staff and on government-issued devices used by Navy personnel. TikTok is currently under review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., which could decide to curtail its operations.