TikTok and more hit by EU privacy complaints in Austria

Austrian advocacy group Noyb has filed privacy complaints against TikTok and five other Chinese companies in the EU. Noyb claims that these tech firms are unlawfully transferring the data of users in the European Union to China.

Complaints of unlawful transfer of EU user data to China

Noyb advocacy group has filed privacy complaints against TikTok, Xiaomi, Temu, AliExpress, Shein, and WeChat in the EU. They are in breach of trust for allegedly sending data of the European Union users to China. Four of these companies explicitly state that they send data of Europeans to China in their privacy policies. These firms include TikTok, AliExpress, SHEIN, and Xiaomi. However, Temu and WeChat only mention data transfers to “third countries”.

Noyb says that the EU law is clear about sending user data outside of China. Companies can only transfer data outside the EU if the destination country doesn’t undermine the protection of data. Companies must conduct a thorough impact assessment to verify that the destination country ensures EU data is safe.

Vienna-based Noyb said this was its first complaint against Chinese firms. It has filed six complaints against the aforementioned Chinese firms in Greece, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Austria. It is seeking to suspend data transfers to China and is asking for fines. These fines can reach up to four percent of a firm’s revenue globally.

China says it doesn’t breach local laws, protects data

A Chinese foreign minister said the Chinese government “has never and will never” ask companies or individuals to collect data. It doesn’t ask enterprises to provide information from other countries to the Chinese government in a way that violates local laws.

In addition, a Xiaomi spokesperson said the brand was examining the allegations. It would fully cooperate with proper authorities to resolve any issues if they approach the company due to this complaint. As of now, the other five companies haven’t released their statements regarding Noyb’s complaints.

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