China rejects data access claims following TikTok's major EU penalty
What's the story
After the European Union (EU) slapped TikTok with a massive fine, China has denied any obligation for the company to hand over any data to it. The social media giant was fined €530 million for moving user data from Europe to China and not keeping it safe from Chinese authorities. The fine is now the second-largest ever imposed by the EU after probing TikTok's data transfer practices.
Official response
China's foreign ministry responds to data handling fine
Responding to the fine, China's foreign ministry said the country "has never and will never require enterprises or individuals to collect or store data by illegal means." The ministry also urged the EU and Ireland, where TikTok's European headquarters are located, to "provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for enterprises of all countries."
Regulatory oversight
European operations and global scrutiny
TikTok, a subsidiary of Chinese tech giant ByteDance, has its European headquarters in Dublin. This makes Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) the lead regulator for the platform across Europe. The company has been under scrutiny in various countries over national security concerns of the Chinese government potentially accessing user data, as well as fears of possible misinformation dissemination through its platform.
Potential consequences
Fine may impact US operations
The latest fine could further intensify scrutiny on TikTok in the US. In 2024, Congress passed legislation demanding that ByteDance give up control of TikTok in the US, or face a ban. President Donald Trump has twice delayed the deadline for selling the social media network, which has 170 million American users. The most recent deadline is due to expire on June 19.