TikTok Appealing Irish DPC's Final Decision on Data Transfers to China

Ireland's Data Protection Commission published a final decision Thursday on its investigation into whether TikTok violated the GDPR by transferring Europeans' personal data to China. The decision, including fines of 530 million euros ($600 million), was announced May 2 (see 2505020001).

TikTok is appealing the decision, and the case is ongoing, a spokesperson emailed Thursday.

In its decision, the DPC found that TikTok breached two provisions of the GDPR. First, the platform carried out data transfers without verifying that European users' personal data was given a level of protection essentially equivalent to that guaranteed in the EU.

In addition, from July 29, 2020, to Dec. 1, 2022, TikTok failed to properly notify data subjects about the transfers and about how its processing involved transfers to China, the DPC said.

The commission ordered TikTok to suspend the data transfers and bring its data processing into compliance. It fined the company 485 million euros for failing to ensure the data in China was adequately protected, and an additional 45 million euros for not informing data subjects appropriately./