Ireland Probes TikTok After China Data Storage Admission

Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) has launched a new investigation into TikTok after the company admitted that some European user data had been stored on servers in China, contradicting previous assurances that data was only remotely accessed by staff in China. This follows a prior probe resulting in a €530 million ($620 million) fine against TikTok for improper handling and transfer of EU user data, a decision TikTok is appealing. The DPC expressed deep concern over inaccurate information provided by TikTok during the earlier investigation. TikTok now claims it proactively discovered the issue and promptly deleted the data as part of its Project Clover data localization initiative. The new inquiry will assess TikTok's compliance with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), focusing on the legality of its data transfers, storage practices, and user protections. Additional penalties may be imposed if further violations are confirmed.