TikTok employees around the world, including in China, can access certain data of millions of Australian users. However, executives at the social media company stressed that strict protocols overseen by its US security team tightly restricted access based on need. The admission came in a letter to Liberal senator James Paterson, who wrote to TikTok’s Australia general manager Lee Hunter and director of public policy Brent Thomas last week , seeking clarification about local user data after a similar admission to US lawmakers. TikTok said its US security team restricted access to data based on need to carry out a...