TikTok says the cyber attack hit brands and celebrities

TikTok says it is fending off a cyberattack that targeted several brands and celebrities.

The video-sharing app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, told the BBC that a “very limited” number of accounts had been hacked.

It added that it is working with users to regain access to their accounts.

TikTok did not share further details about the perpetrators of the cyberattack or how it was carried out.

One of the hacked accounts belongs to the news outlet CNN.

A TikTok spokesperson said: “We have collaborated closely with CNN to restore account access and implemented enhanced security measures to protect their accounts going forward.”

“We are committed to maintaining the integrity of the platform and will continue to monitor any further inauthentic activity.”

CNN did not immediately respond to the BBC’s request for comment.

TikTok said reality TV star Paris Hilton’s account was also targeted, but was not hacked.

Hilton, who has more than 10 million followers on TikTok, is an active user of the platform.

The news comes as TikTok faces a ban in the US, unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company.

The platform has millions of users around the world, but has faced questions about the security of user data and its links to the government in Beijing.

It is also emerging as a new social media battleground for the US election.

Earlier this month, Donald Trump has joined TikTokAlthough he tried to ban it on national security grounds during his presidency.

Trump, who has amassed more than five million followers since launching his account on Saturday, said he would use “every tool available to speak directly to the American people.”

President Joe Biden is also using the platform in his re-election campaign in November, but has only picked up about 350,000 followers, far fewer than his rival.