Software Tiktok has to pay 530 million euros for data protection violations
The internet platform Tiktok has to pay a fine of 530 million euros for breaches of European data protection rules. The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) imposed the payment due to the transfer of data to China.
02.05.2025, 12:51
SDA
Tiktok violated the General Data Protection Regulation because the company transferred European user data to China and also violated transparency requirements, according to the statement.
The platform will now be ordered to pay the million-euro fine and to adapt its data processing within six months so that it complies with the rules. Tiktok can still appeal against the fine.
What are the data protectionists accusing Tiktok of?
During the investigation, Tiktok stated that it did not store any user data from Europe on servers in China, according to the Irish supervisory authority. In April, however, the platform admitted that this had happened to a limited extent and that incorrect information had been provided.
The General Data Protection Regulation requires that the high level of data protection within the EU also applies when personal data is transferred to other countries, said DPC deputy chief executive Graham Doyle. However, Tiktok had not been able to guarantee that data of European users, to which employees in China had access, was similarly protected as in the EU. For example, Tiktok had not taken into account the possible access of Chinese authorities.
What does Tiktok have to do with China?
Tiktok is one of the most popular social media platforms with its short videos. The app belongs to the Chinese group Bytedance, headquartered in Beijing. In China, where people use a censored version of the service, the app is called Douyin. Tiktok always emphasizes that Bytedance is majority-owned by international investors.
However, the parent company also has to comply with the requirements of the Chinese authorities through its headquarters in Beijing. Furthermore, because the algorithm - the heart of the app that selects videos for users and keeps them in front of the screen for a long time - was developed in China, permission from Beijing is required for it to be passed on. This is a particular problem for Tiktok's ordered sale in the USA, which is why the app recently made headlines.
Why is there trouble in the USA?
A US law stipulates that Bytedance must sell the app in the United States or else take it offline. Politicians and experts in the US fear that American data could fall into the hands of the Chinese government via the platform or that public opinion could be manipulated. Tiktok has so far rejected such accusations. US President Donald Trump had extended the deadline for the sale - which should have taken place on January 19 - several times.
Why does the penalty actually come from Ireland?
The DPC is the lead supervisory authority for tech giants that have their European branch in Ireland. Millions in fines have often been imposed there. In 2021, Amazon was fined 746 million euros, and in 2023 the Meta Group had to pay 1.2 billion euros. Tiktok was also fined €345 million in 2023 for its handling of data from users under the age of 18.
The Irish Data Protection Commission has now announced that it is taking the case very seriously. According to Tiktok, the data has now been deleted. However, further regulatory measures are being considered in consultation with EU data protection authorities.
