EU Impose Fine on TikTok, China Rejects Claims of Data Extraction
TikTok under fire: China slammed the rumors that it forced companies to share data, following TikTok receiving a whopping €530 million fine in the EU for mishandling personal data.
The popular social media platform was ordered to dish out an enormous €600 million on Friday for transferring user data from Europe to China and skimping on enough safeguards to protect the data from Chinese authorities. This colossal fine comes after an investigation into TikTok’s legal handling of data transfers in Europe.
Despite the allegations, Chinese-owned TikTok has vowed to challenge the decision, proclaiming their innocence.
Clearing the air, China's foreign ministry announced that the nation has never asked nor demanded companies to collect or store data unlawfully. They also pleaded with the European Union and Ireland, home to TikTok's European headquarters, to maintain a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for international corporations.
While TikTok's European headquarters resides in Dublin, Ireland, it has raised concerns in many countries about national security, as the data could potentially be accessed by the Chinese government, and the possibility of the platform spreading misinformation. Some countries have even gone as far as banning TikTok for specific periods, such as Pakistan, Nepal, and France in New Caledonia.
The fine is expected to intensify pressure on the social networking giant in the United States. The US Congress has mandated ByteDance to relinquish control of TikTok in the US or face a ban. US President Donald Trump has already postponed the deadline for the sale of the social network twice, with the latest deadline approaching on June 19, involving 170 million American users.
Despite Beijing's consistent denial of accessing data from companies operating abroad, concerns remain, as Chinese laws theoretically permit authorities to access data without EU-level safeguards. However, there's no concrete proof yet indicating China has requested such data from TikTok.
- Beijing's foreign ministry defended TikTok, insisting that China has never compelled companies, including TikTok, to gather or store data illegally.
- The Chinese government urged the European Union and Ireland to uphold a fair and non-discriminatory business environment for international corporations like TikTok.
- Despite Chinese assurances, global concerns persist regarding the lawfulness of data transferring from TikTok to China, as well as the potential risks posed by a lack of EU-level safeguards in Chinese laws.
