TikTok suffers cyber-attack that targeted several brands and celebrities

TikTok has suffered a cyber-attack and is working with users to restore access to their accounts, according to media sources.

The video-sharing app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has yet to share further details on the perpetrators of the cyber-attack, or how it was carried out.

One of the compromised accounts belonged to news outlet CNN.

“We have been collaborating closely with CNN to restore account access and implement enhanced security measures to safeguard their account moving forward,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.

The account of reality TV star Paris Hilton, who has more than 10 million followers on TikTok, was also targeted but it was not compromised.

According to Wired, TikTok spotted the breach and took immediate steps to mitigate a cyberattack that targeted a number of high-profile users through direct messages.

The social media app is fighting to remain available in the U.s after president Joe Biden signed a law in April that forces its parent company, China-based ByteDance, to sell TikTok or face a ban.

TikTok and several users have sued the US government, claiming the law is unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds.