It has entered the “microscope” of the United States Department of Justice the Chinese company ByteDance that owns TikTokfor “spying” on American citizens, including several journalists.

ByteDance, based in Beijing and specifically in the Cayman Islands, admitted last December that it had improperly obtained data on US TikTok users, including at least two reporters, according to the New York Times.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the investigation.

The news came the same day a bill authored by a bipartisan group of six senators called for a ban on TikTok amid fears the Chinese app could be used for espionage or to influence public opinion.

Earlier this month, the White House backed legislation filed by a dozen senators to give President Joe Biden’s administration new powers to ban TikTok and other foreign-based technologies if they pose national security threats.

Earlier this week TikTok said the Biden administration is demanding its Chinese owners divest their stake in the company or face a possible US ban.