Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Five Chinese firms, including TikTok and Xiaomi, appeared in a privacy complaint filed by the Austrian group Noyb. It claimed the companies were illegally sending European Union user data to China.
Austrian-based advocacy group NOYB (None Of Your Business) stated this is their first complaint against Chinese companies. As reported by Reuters, Noyb has lodged six complaints in four European nations for the blocking of data transfers to China and is aiming for penalties that can reach up to 4% of a company’s global revenue.
How does Noyb justify its complaints against Chinese firms?
Advocacy group NOYB stated Alibaba’s e-commerce site AliExpress, TikTok phone designer Xiaomi, and retailer Shein reported sending Europeans’ personal information to China, while Tencent’s messenger app WeChat and retailer Temu transmit data to unknown “third countries”, likely China.
Under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy control, data flows outside the European Union are only permitted if the destination nation doesn’t sabotage the protection of data.
Is TikTok facing additional scrutiny for election interference in the EU?
Apart from this, TikTok is already under a European probe as the European Commission has opened a formal investigation into TikTok over possible violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in relation to foreign interference in the recent Romanian presidential election.
This investigation was opened on December 17, 2024, after proof of Russian interference through the app, which supposedly included the activation of thousands of TikTok accounts in support of a relatively unknown candidate, Georgescu, just before the election.
Which renowned companies are named in NOYB’s past privacy complaint?
NOYB was known for their complaints against giants in the technological world, mainly American companies: Apple, Alphabet, and Meta. These activities have led to significant investigations with substantial fines imposed. NOYB has also filed many complaints against tech companies for violating their data protection acts.
For example, they have fought against the processing of personal data without consent, as well as those who failed to comply with some of the key requirements of GDPR. This has made various data protection authorities in Europe investigate them.
