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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 Charges TikTok Over Addictive App Design Under DSA

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The European Union has charged TikTok with breaching online content rules, accusing the app of using addictive design features that could harm users, particularly minors. The move follows a year-long probe by the European Commission under the Digital Services Act, which empowers regulators to demand changes or impose fines of up to 6% of a company’s global turnover.

Regulators cited features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalized recommendations as mechanisms that encourage compulsive use. The Commission said TikTok failed to adequately assess risks to users’ physical and mental wellbeing and did not implement sufficient safeguards, including effective screen-time controls and parental tools.

TikTok rejected the allegations, calling the preliminary findings false and saying it would challenge them. EU officials said the platform may be required to redesign core elements in Europe, including disabling infinite scroll over time, adding meaningful breaks—especially at night—and adapting its recommender system.

The action underscores the EU’s broader crackdown on Big Tech, with similar DSA charges previously brought against Meta Platforms’ Facebook and Instagram over deceptive interface designs. Regulators are also scrutinizing age-verification systems at Snapchat, YouTube, Apple, and Google as governments debate tougher limits on teen access to social media.

TikTok cooperates closely with EU probe into Romania election interference

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TikTok is being “extremely cooperative” with the European Commission’s investigation into potential interference in Romania’s 2024 presidential election, a Commission spokesperson said. The probe focuses on whether the platform failed to adequately limit election-related risks under EU digital rules.

European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said TikTok had engaged constructively with regulators and had already implemented several measures. He added that the Commission welcomes cooperation from platforms and is open to dialogue when companies show willingness to comply.

The investigation was formally launched in December 2024, when the European Commission opened proceedings over concerns that TikTok may not have done enough to curb election interference during the Romanian vote. The case forms part of broader EU scrutiny of how social media platforms handle political content and safeguard democratic processes.