New research claims TikTok can track users’ keystrokes

(CNN) — Every keystroke made by users of TikTok can be tracked within the web browser that’s being used, according to a new study from a privacy researcher and former Google engineer.

The New York Times reports the capability to track is embedded within the in-app browser when an outside link is clicked. The research doesn’t show how TikTok might use it, but reveals a concern that the built-in function can track if the app chooses to.

The short-form video app, owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance, called the research study “Incorrect and misleading.” Its statement says the feature is used for “Debugging, troubleshooting and performance monitoring.”

In July, a TikTok executive told CNN that the app does not log users’ keystrokes, but does monitor patterns.

The company recently agreed to share more of its data with some researchers as it has come under scrutiny.

In July, lawmakers in the U.S. Senate intelligence committee called for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate TikTok. That request came amid reports the app’s Chinese parent company had accessed U.S. users’ data.