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TikTok Can Keep EU-China Data Transfers During Appeal

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TikTok will be allowed to continue transferring user data from the European Union to China while it appeals a major Irish privacy ruling, after Ireland’s Supreme Court confirmed a temporary suspension of the transfer ban.

The case stems from a 530 million euro fine imposed in May by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, TikTok’s lead privacy regulator in the EU. Regulators argued TikTok failed to guarantee that EU user data remotely accessed by staff in China received privacy protections equivalent to European standards. The order required TikTok to suspend those transfers unless compliance issues were resolved within six months.

However, Ireland’s High Court previously paused enforcement of the transfer ban, ruling that immediate suspension could cause severe and difficult-to-measure business damage to TikTok, while consumer risk during the appeal period appeared limited. The Supreme Court has now upheld that temporary pause until the High Court delivers its final judgment.

TikTok maintains it has never provided European user data to Chinese authorities and says regulators did not fully account for security systems introduced in 2023, including independent oversight of remote data access.

The ruling is significant because it temporarily preserves TikTok’s operational flexibility in Europe while broader questions remain over cross-border data governance, Chinese access concerns, and GDPR-level privacy protections.

The final outcome of the appeal could shape not only TikTok’s future in Europe but also wider standards for how global technology firms manage international data flows under EU privacy law.

EU Court Adviser Supports WhatsApp in Privacy Fine Dispute

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An adviser to Europe’s top court has backed WhatsApp in its appeal against the EU privacy watchdog’s decision to increase its fine for data privacy violations. The case stems from a 2021 ruling in which Ireland’s data protection authority fined WhatsApp 225 million euros ($242.2 million). The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) intervened at the time, compelling Ireland to raise the penalty.

WhatsApp had challenged the EDPB’s authority to impose such a directive, but a lower tribunal ruled in 2022 that the company lacked standing to sue the regulator directly. Advocate General Tamara Capeta of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has now disagreed with that assessment, stating that WhatsApp’s challenge is valid and should be reconsidered. The CJEU is expected to issue its final ruling in the coming months.

Deliveroo Delays Margin Growth Goal Amid Slow Consumer Recovery

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Deliveroo has postponed its margin growth target after a slower-than-expected recovery in consumer confidence, causing a drop in shares that erased the gains made over the past year. Despite reporting its first statutory profit and positive cash flow, the meal delivery company revised its forecast for margin expansion.

For the year, Deliveroo posted a profit of £2.9 million ($3.8 million), a turnaround from a loss of £31.8 million in 2023. Its core earnings reached the top end of guidance, amounting to £129.6 million. However, CEO Will Shu admitted that the consumer environment had not recovered as quickly as expected. In 2023, Shu had set a target to achieve a 4% core earnings margin by 2026, with the possibility of further upside. But now, Deliveroo expects margin growth to pick up starting in 2026, with the 4% target set for the medium term.

“The consumer market since our capital markets event hasn’t been the smoothest,” Shu noted, reflecting the ongoing challenges. As a result, shares in Deliveroo fell 9%, wiping out the gains made over the past year. Jefferies analysts called the new timeline a “blemish,” though they pointed out that the consensus forecast had already been lagging behind the original timeline.

Despite the setback in margin growth, Deliveroo saw growth in gross transaction value (GTV), a key performance metric, which picked up in the second half of 2024. Order growth in the UK and Ireland, Deliveroo’s largest market, also accelerated each quarter. For Q1 2025, Shu expressed confidence, stating that trading had been strong, with no significant changes compared to the latter half of 2024.

To continue growing, Deliveroo will focus on value, its tiered membership programs, and other operational efficiencies. The company also announced its exit from Hong Kong, selling some of its assets to Delivery Hero’s foodpanda after nine years of operations in the region. Shu explained that Hong Kong’s market was particularly price-sensitive, which influenced the decision to exit. This departure will leave Deliveroo operating in seven international markets, in addition to its presence in Britain and Ireland.