In November, ByteDance plans to tighten how employees use outside AI tools, limiting their reach into internal code and documents and changing how staff can bring those services into work.
The rules focus on L4 code repositories and Feishu documents, and include Claude and Codex among outside services. Personal AI accounts would not let staff access files covered by the limits. Some Seed use cases are excluded.
ByteDance technology vice president 洪定坤 warned that a leak of L3 material or above could carry serious consequences. The controls apply to L4 resources, while 洪定坤's remarks addressed material at L3 or higher. 洪定坤 said ByteDance had no need to block rival AI systems to promote its own, adding that requiring staff to use it would make little difference.
A previous ByteDance measure came in May 2025: after business information was saved to personal accounts, it curtailed staff use of Cursor and Windsurf.
