TikTok US reportedly retains operational ties to ByteDance after January split

POLITICO reports that TikTok’s US staff still coordinate with the global organization on features, dangerous trends and policies after the January 2026 split. Staff also use ByteDance-built Lark and an AI assistant called Aime; an employee said leaders warned against sharing sensitive US user data with the chatbot. TikTok US says it has walled off Americans’ data in compliance with the law.