TikTok fined €530 million for GDPR violations over data transfers to China

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) fined TikTok €530 million (around $601 million) for transferring European user data to China in a way that doesn’t comply with the GDPR transparency requirements. Since the European Commission has not issued an Adequacy Decision regarding data transfers to China, organizations are required to ensure the protection of user data.  

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The Commissioners for Data Protection’s decision includes, in addition to the substantial fine, an order suspending TikTok’s data transfers to China, unless the company can demonstrate full compliance with the law within six months. 

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During the investigation, it was also revealed that user data has been stored on servers located in China. TikTok reported this discovery, which contradicts earlier company reports, and deleted the data. However, further regulatory steps may still follow.

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