Austrian advocacy group Noyb has filed privacy complaints against six Chinese firms, including TikTok, AliExpress, SHEIN, Temu, WeChat, and Xiaomi, accusing them of unlawfully transferring EU user data to China. Noyb aims to halt these data transfers and impose fines. The accusations highlight growing scrutiny of Chinese companies’ data practices worldwide.
The Vienna-based Noyb (None Of Your Business) said it is their first complaint against Chinese firms. The group has previously made headlines targeting American conglomerates such as Apple, Alphabet, and Meta, which has led to several investigations and billions of dollars in fines.
Noyb has filed six complaints in four European countries for suspension of data transfers to China and is seeking fines that can reach up to 4% of a firm’s global revenue.
According to the group’s statement, Alibaba opened a new tab for e-commerce site AliExpress, retailer Shein, TikTok, and phone maker Xiaomi admitted to sending Europeans’ personal data to China, while retailer Temu and Tencent opened a new tab for messenger app WeChat transfer data to undisclosed “third countries” likely China.
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Under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR) privacy laws, transferring data outside the region is permissible only if the recipient country maintains an equivalent level of data protection.
Kleanthi Sardeli, data protection lawyer at noyb: “Chinese companies have no choice but to comply with government requests for access to data. This means that European users’ data is at risk as long as it’s sent abroad. The competent authorities must act quickly to protect the fundamental rights of the people concerned.”
Chinese companies, notably ByteDance-owned TikTok, have been facing off with regulators in various countries. TikTok is planning to shut its app for U.S. users starting Sunday, when a federal ban on social media apps is due to come into effect.
The European Commission is also investigating TikTok over its suspected failure to limit election interference, notably in the Romanian presidential vote in November.
The privacy complaints against TikTok and other Chinese tech companies significantly escalate the EU’s efforts to enforce its data protection regulations. As the global landscape around data privacy and security continues to evolve, companies must adapt to ensure compliance with relevant regulations. The EU’s commitment to protecting user data sets an important precedent, and companies operating in the EU must take note to avoid similar complaints in the future.
