TikTok is about to receive a fine of more than 500 million euros from the European Union. But what is it accused of? the social network?
TikTok is in Europe's sights. According to Bloomberg, the Irish Data Protection Commission, responsible for enforcing European privacy laws, plans to fine TikTok more than €500 million. The decision is not yet official, but it has already been made public and is expected to be made public in April, we learned. The Chinese social network is accused of not respecting the principles of the GDPR. TikTok is notably accused of having sent European users' data to China without their consent. The case is unlikely to end there, however, as TikTok has the option to appeal to the Irish courts, which the company will likely do.
TikTok in turmoil in Europe and the United States
If confirmed, this sanction against TikTok would be the third largest issued by the Irish regulator, which has been pushed to act against major tech groups by the European Union. The record goes to Meta and its €1.2 billion fine in 2023 for refusing to stop transferring its users' data to the United States. Previously, Amazon had been fined €746 million, again for breaches relating to the processing of personal data.
After taking on the US giants, the EU is now looking towards China. A complaint filed by a group of lawyers in Austria has initiated the case. TikTok is the largest player, but Xiaomi is also affected and could also be sanctioned soon. Shein is also among the companies under scrutiny for illegally transferring European consumer data to China.
Furthermore, TikTok is in conflict with the French tax authorities and remains in a precarious situation in the United States. TikTok was banned across the Atlantic on January 19, 2025, a few hours before Donald Trump's inauguration. The new president lifted this suspension until April 5 while a solution is found, which is still not current. today.
Source: Bloomberg
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