The president of the European Commission, the chief department of the European Union, has confirmed there are a number of ongoing investigations into TikTok. The probes concern the switch of EU residents’ information to China and focused promoting aimed toward minors. Investigators are looking for to make sure that TikTok meets General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) necessities.
“The data practices of TikTok, including with respect to international data transfers, are the object of several ongoing proceedings,” Ursula von der Leyden wrote in a letter shared by Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr. “This consists of an investigation by the Irish [Data Protection Commission] about TikTok’s compliance with a number of GDPR necessities, together with as regards information transfers to China and the processing of knowledge of minors, and litigation earlier than the Dutch courts (particularly regarding focused promoting relating to minors and information transfers to China).”
NEW: The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, confirms that #TikTok’s information transfers are underneath investigation & object of a number of ongoing proceedings.
This comes after issues raised by Members of the European Parliament about information entry from inside China https://t.co/aWlVl6hnXJ pic.twitter.com/dhOCojKKOW
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) November 22, 2022
Von der Leyden was responding to issues raised by members of the European Parliament relating to Chinese public authorities doubtlessly having access to EU residents’ TikTok information, following a report by BuzzFeed News. The app’s information practices have been underneath the EU’s highlight for some time. Earlier this 12 months, TikTok agreed to implement sure insurance policies regarding advertisements and branded content material following a grievance that accused the app of breaching EU client guidelines.
Of course, TikTok has been in scorching water on the opposite facet of the Atlantic over its privateness and safety practices. Last month, TikTok denied experiences that China-based staff for its mum or dad firm ByteDance deliberate to trace the situation of some US residents by means of the app.
TikTok has been shifting the info it holds on US customers to Oracle information facilities within the nation in an try and placate officers who’ve been involved about China doubtlessly utilizing the app towards American residents. In August, it emerged that Oracle was reviewing TikTok’s content material moderation techniques and algorithms to verify they don’t seem to be topic to Chinese interference.
Carr, the FCC’s senior Republican commissioner, mentioned this month that TikTok must be banned within the US. He beforehand urged Apple and Google to take away TikTok from their app shops.