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TikTok Fined €530 Million by EU Over Illegal Data Transfers to China

Ireland's Data Protection Commission found TikTok violated GDPR by failing to protect European user data and misleading users about transfers to China.

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FILE PHOTO: TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE - A TikTok sign is displayed on top of their building in Culver City, Calif., on Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
TikTok faces one of the largest fines ever issued under European law for unlawfully transferring users' personal data from the EU to China.

Overview

  • TikTok was fined €485 million for unlawful data transfers to China and €45 million for transparency breaches, totaling €530 million.
  • The Irish DPC concluded TikTok failed to ensure EU-level data protection for user data accessed by staff in China under Chinese surveillance laws.
  • TikTok disclosed in April 2025 that limited European user data had been stored in China, contradicting previous statements to regulators.
  • The company has six months to comply with GDPR standards or face suspension of all data transfers to China.
  • TikTok plans to appeal the decision, citing its €12 billion Project Clover initiative to localize European data and enhance privacy safeguards.