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TikTok Fined $602 Million for Illegal EU Data Transfers to China
Table of Contents
Overview of the Fine
In a landmark decision, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has imposed a €530 million ($602 million) fine on TikTok’s parent company ByteDance for serious violations of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This represents the third-largest GDPR fine ever issued, following penalties against Meta and Amazon.
Key Points
- Fine amount: €530 million ($602 million)
- Violation period: 2020-2022
- Main issue: Illegal transfer of European user data to China
- Additional requirement: Six-month deadline to halt illegal data transfers
DPC Investigation Details
The four-year investigation revealed that TikTok had been transferring European Economic Area (EEA) user data to China without proper safeguards or transparency. Despite previous claims that European user data wasn’t stored in China, TikTok admitted in February that “limited EEA User Data” had indeed been stored there.
Critical Finding
“TikTok failed to verify, guarantee and demonstrate that the personal data of EEA users, remotely accessed by staff in China, was afforded a level of protection essentially equivalent to that guaranteed within the EU.” – DPC Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle
Key GDPR Violations
The DPC identified two major violations:
- Transparency Breach (€45 million fine): TikTok failed to inform users about data transfers to China between 2020 and 2022.
- Data Transfer Violation (€485 million fine): TikTok couldn’t guarantee equivalent data protection standards in China compared to the EU.
TikTok’s Response
TikTok has announced plans to appeal the ruling, stating that Chinese authorities never requested European user data and that the company never provided such information. The company also highlighted its Project Clover initiative, which includes establishing European data centers for local data storage.
Regulatory History
This isn’t the first time TikTok has faced regulatory action in Europe. In 2023, the company was fined $368 million for failing to protect the data of users aged 13-17. The platform is currently under investigation for several other issues, including:
- Potential foreign interference in elections
- Age verification concerns
- Addictive algorithm issues
- Risk assessment failures for TikTok Lite
Published on May 3, 2025
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