TikTok Fined €530 Million by EU for Sending User Data to China
The European Union has fined TikTok €530 million (about $600 million) for illegally sending users’ data to China. This fine was given because TikTok broke the EU’s strong rules about keeping people’s personal data safe.
The fine was announced by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC). This office is in charge of checking TikTok in Europe because TikTok’s European headquarters is located in Dublin, Ireland.
According to the DPC, TikTok broke the EU’s data privacy law, known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Because of this, TikTok now has six months to stop moving people’s data without permission.
What TikTok Did Wrong
The DPC said TikTok admitted that user data from Europe was being stored on servers in China. This goes against what TikTok told investigators earlier, where they denied this.
The DPC also said TikTok did not do enough to protect user data from being accessed by the Chinese government. Under China’s national laws, the government can request access to data held by companies. This is a big problem because those laws are different from the EU’s rules, which are much stricter when it comes to protecting personal information.
Graham Doyle, a deputy commissioner at the DPC, explained that TikTok didn’t protect people’s personal data from being accessed under Chinese laws like anti-terrorism and spying rules, which don’t match European privacy standards.
TikTok Responds
TikTok says they do not agree with the decision and will appeal the fine. The company also says it has never been asked by the Chinese government to hand over data, and that it has never given them any data.
Not the First Time TikTok Has Been Fined
This is not TikTok’s first trouble with EU regulators. In 2023, the company was also fined €345 million for mishandling the personal data of children.
This new €530 million fine is the third-largest GDPR fine ever. Only Meta (Facebook’s parent company) and Amazon have been fined more.
The Irish DPC has often warned big tech companies about sending European user data to countries that don’t have strong privacy laws. They started looking into TikTok in 2021 after concerns were raised about Chinese engineers being able to access user data from Europe, especially through AI and app maintenance tasks.
Other Problems for TikTok in Europe
TikTok is not only in trouble for privacy reasons. The EU is also looking into whether TikTok broke rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a law that tries to keep the internet safe and fair in Europe.
Some of the new complaints against TikTok include:
Spreading fake accounts
Allowing foreign interference in elections (like Romania’s 2024 presidential election)
Having a design that is too addictive, especially for young people
Not doing enough to protect underage users
All of these issues show that TikTok is under heavy scrutiny in Europe.
Nigeria Is Watching Too
Even outside Europe, TikTok is being watched closely. In March 2025, Nigeria’s Data Protection Commission (NDPC) said it is investigating TikTok and Truecaller to see if they are obeying Nigeria’s data protection laws.
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, the head of Nigeria’s NDPC, said the commission is checking if the companies are handling user data properly. Based on their findings, the NDPC will decide if any action is needed.
However, unlike the EU, which gives big fines, Nigeria’s focus is more on correcting mistakes. The NDPC said it wants companies to fix their problems and follow the rules instead of punishing them right away.
What This All Means
The big fine shows that Europe is serious about protecting personal data, and that even large tech companies must follow the rules. TikTok’s troubles in the EU and other parts of the world highlight the growing concern over how tech firms use and share user information.
With more countries setting stricter privacy rules, TikTok and other apps will likely need to make big changes in how they handle data, or face more penalties.
