It added that the app was an essential part of plans to reach young audiences.
The TikTok concerns have emerged as the BBCs relationship with China has faced scrutiny.
Human rights campaignerswere alarmed at the findings.
BBC journalists Ana Guerra-Moore, Mitch Mansfield and Nathalia Passarinho (left to right) in TikTok videosBBC/TikTok
There isnt enough nuance and safety around what they are posting.
The BBC declined to comment on this issue.
Matthew Garrahan, the news editor at the Financial Times, described the incident as outrageous.
Shou Chew, the chief executive of TikTok, admitted that the privacy intrusion was unacceptable.
The employees involved, who worked in a Beijing-based unit at ByteDance, have since left the company.
We take data security incredibly seriously, Chew told TikTok staff last month.
A similar project is underway in Europe and UK, he added.
BBC journalism remains independent and free to report impartially on the social media platforms on which we post content.
TikTok declined to comment.
