European Regulators Open New Investigation into TikTok Over Data Storage in China

European regulators have launched a fresh investigation into TikTok after the social media giant admitted that some European user data had been stored on servers in China. The Data Protection Commission (DPC), which oversees data privacy across the European Union, confirmed that TikTok informed them that “limited European Economic Area (EEA) user data had in fact been stored on servers in China.”

This disclosure contradicts earlier statements TikTok made during the investigation, when it claimed that it did not store European user data in China and that data was only accessed remotely by staff in China. Following the initial findings, the DPC issued a €530 million ($947 million) fine to TikTok for unauthorized data transfers to China.

The regulator responded to TikTok’s backtracking by saying it would consider further regulatory action. Now, citing the new information, the DPC has officially opened a fresh inquiry into the platform. TikTok, a division of Chinese tech giant ByteDance, had previously told AFP in May that it had “promptly” informed the authorities of a technical issue related to data transfers.

TikTok has faced ongoing scrutiny in Europe over how it handles personal data amid concerns that it could pose security risks. The platform maintains that it has never received requests from Chinese authorities for European user data.

Since TikTok’s European headquarters is based in Ireland, the Irish Data Protection Commission is the lead regulator in Europe for TikTok and other major tech companies like Google, Meta, and Apple. Under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), enacted in 2018, companies must ensure robust safeguards when transferring personal data outside the EU. Currently, only 15 countries or territories are deemed to have data privacy standards equivalent to those in the EU, and China is not among them.

The DPC has previously imposed significant fines on tech firms as part of the EU’s broader efforts to regulate privacy, competition, disinformation, and taxation issues among big tech companies. The latest investigation underscores ongoing concerns over TikTok’s data practices and the security of European users’ personal information.