Ask HN: Is tiktok reading and uploading user contact as it is doing in China?

A China user prosecuted Tiktok for it read and uploaded users contact without permission and it is not mentioned in its privacy statement. The Tiktok claimed in the court that contact is not private. The information stored in contact is information of society members instead of personal privacy and should be allowed to use freely. This statement is so ridiculous that I took it as April fool's day's joke at first sight but it turns out to be true. I have heard that Tiktok has been unexpectedly successful abroad so I am wondering whether its terrifying claim is a result of China's poor protection of privacy or it is just such a terrible company.