TikTok Fined Over €500m for Mishandling EU User Data

THE WHAT? TikTok has been fined €530 million (approx. US$600 million) by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission for failing to protect EU user data transferred to China, raising concerns about surveillance risks, including data linked to beauty and personal care users.

THE DETAILS As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the Irish regulator said TikTok failed to ensure adequate safeguards for European user data under Chinese laws on cybersecurity and espionage. The Commission, which leads EU enforcement of GDPR for TikTok, ordered the company to halt all data transfers to China within six months unless it can guarantee EU-equivalent data protection. TikTok admitted last month to storing limited European user data in China, despite previous denials. That data has since been deleted, according to the company. TikTok said it would appeal the fine, which applies to practices prior to its recent changes under “Project Clover,” an initiative to localise data storage in Europe. Regulators said the measures were not enough to change the enforcement action.

THE WHY? The ruling intensifies scrutiny of TikTok’s handling of user data, including personal identifiers, browsing behaviour and content interaction — all of which impact how beauty and personal care brands reach consumers through the app. With 175 million users in Europe and a large beauty creator ecosystem, the decision raises questions about data reliability and platform compliance for industry marketers operating in the region.

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