The Irish Data Protection Commission has imposed a significant fine of $600 million (EUR 530 million) on TikTok for breaching the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by transferring data from users in Europe to servers based in China.
According to a report from Barge, this groundbreaking decision by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has mandated that TikTok pay a staggering $600 million (EUR 530 million) for violating GDPR. The investigation found that the widely used video-sharing platform had moved data from its European users to China, raising serious concerns about user privacy and data security.
Investigators found that TikTok couldn’t ensure that the data sent to China would be safeguarded to the same standard required by the EU. Notably, the court pointed out that China’s laws on counterterrorism and state security present risks, as they allow local authorities to access personal information from European users.
The hefty fine is broken down into two parts: €485 million for the data transfer to China and €45 million for TikTok’s inadequate privacy policy, which failed to adequately explain this data movement. Although TikTok made efforts in 2022 to update its privacy policy—which the court deemed “compliant”—and promised a €12 billion investment in data centers within the EU, the court found these measures insufficient.
Throughout the investigation, TikTok maintained that while user data was accessed remotely from China, it wasn’t stored there. However, just last month, the company disclosed to the court that a “limited” amount of European user data had, in fact, been stored in China and later deleted. This revelation led DPC Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle to caution that there might be a need for “additional regulatory actions” regarding this further breach.
This $600 million penalty stands as the third-largest GDPR fine to date, trailing only Meta and fines levied against Amazon. It’s worth noting that TikTok, which has its European headquarters in Ireland, has previously faced major GDPR penalties; in 2023, it was fined $367 million for mishandling children’s data.
This ruling emerges amidst ongoing uncertainties for TikTok’s operations in the US. The app has been banned there over concerns regarding data security and potential Chinese management. Finding American buyers for its US operations has become crucial. Recently, President Donald Trump extended a 75-day suspension on the ban, as the trade conflict with China complicates negotiations for selling TikTok’s US branch from its Chinese parent company, Bytedance.
Please read more Barge here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News, focusing on freedom of speech and online censorship issues.
