Irish Data Regulator Launches New Inquiry into TikTok Over Data Storage in China

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has opened a fresh inquiry into TikTok concerning the storage of European users’ data on servers in China. This follows TikTok’s April disclosure that some data had been temporarily stored on Chinese servers, an issue not addressed in the regulator’s earlier investigation.

TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, was fined €530 million ($620 million) in May by the Irish regulator over concerns about its handling of European user data, some of which was reportedly accessed remotely by employees in China.

As TikTok’s lead regulator in the EU—since the company’s European headquarters is based in Ireland—the DPC will now specifically focus on the China data storage issue. Previously, TikTok had repeatedly assured the regulator over a four-year probe that it did not store EU data in China. However, in April, the company revealed it had found that a small amount of data was stored in China for about two months before being deleted.

A TikTok spokesperson said the company identified the issue internally, promptly deleted the limited data involved, and informed the DPC. The spokesperson added, “Our proactive report to the DPC underscores our commitment to transparency and data security.”

TikTok is currently appealing the May fine, warning that the ruling could set a broad precedent affecting companies and industries operating globally across Europe.