Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has opened a new inquiry into TikTok over its storage of European user data in China.
The investigation follows TikTok’s disclosure in April that some user data was temporarily stored on servers in China, despite earlier assurances that no EU data was kept there.
TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, is already appealing a €530 million ($620 million) fine issued by the Irish regulator in May over concerns about how it handles user data. That earlier probe did not cover the storage of data in China, which is now the focus of the new inquiry.
TikTok told the commission in May that it had identified the issue two months earlier and had since deleted the data from Chinese servers. The company said it discovered the data transfer internally, acted to remove it, and informed the regulator.
A spokesperson for TikTok said the report to the DPC shows the company’s commitment to transparency and data protection. TikTok added that the May 2 ruling could have wide implications for global firms operating in Europe.
Ireland is TikTok’s lead data regulator in the European Union, as the platform’s regional headquarters is located there.
