EU Fines TikTok €530 Million Over Data Transfers to China

The European Union fined TikTok €530 million for violating data privacy rules by transferring user data to China. The Irish Data Protection Commission found TikTok had not been transparent about data transfers and required compliance within six months. TikTok plans to appeal the decision.

The European Union privacy watchdogs have imposed a fine of €530 million on TikTok, marking a significant development in the ongoing scrutiny over data privacy practices. The hefty penalty comes as a result of a four-year investigation that revealed the video sharing app's data transfers to China, contravening the EU's stringent data privacy rules.

The Irish Data Protection Commission, acting as TikTok's lead data privacy regulator in the bloc due to the company's European headquarters in Dublin, admonished the platform for failing to transparently inform users about the destination of their personal data. Consequently, TikTok has been directed to rectify its practices and align with EU regulations within a six-month grace period.

In response, TikTok expressed its disagreement with the decision and is set to challenge it through an appeal. The company contends that the decision overlooked its efforts on data localization, particularly its 'Project Clover', which aims to enhance data protection via new data centers in Europe.

(With inputs from agencies.)