TikTok plans 2 more European data centers amid privacy fears

TikTok said Friday that it’s making plans extra European statistics facilities, as the popular Chinese-owned video sharing app seeks to allay developing concerns approximately information privateness for its users inside the West.

TikTok has been beneath hearth from European and American authorities over concerns that it could scoop up hundreds of consumer statistics and ship it to China.

The agency’s standard supervisor for European operations, Rich Waterworth, stated in a blog submit that it’s miles “at an advanced level of finalizing a plan” with a 3rd-birthday party provider for a 2d information middle in Ireland. It introduced its first center there ultimate 12 months.

TikTok is also in talks to installation a 3rd European information middle, without specifying a area.

“Regarding neighborhood facts storage, in line with the growth of our community, we’re trying to enlarge our European records garage capability,” Waterworth said.

Data for European TikTok users might be migrated to the brand new centers beginning this year, Waterworth stated.TikTok is wildly famous with young humans, however its Chinese ownership has raised fears that Beijing may want to use it to gather facts on Western users or push pro-China narratives and incorrect information. TikTok is owned via ByteDance, a Chinese agency that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.A top European Union respectable warned CEO Shou Zi Chew remaining month that the company would must comply with the 27-state bloc’s sweeping new digital rules.

The Digital Services Act mandates that on-line platforms and tech groups with 45 million or more customers take more steps aimed toward cleansing up illegal content material and disinformation or face potentially billions in fines.

TikTok suggested Friday that it had one hundred twenty five million month-to-month lively users inside the EU, setting it over the brink for additonal scrutiny under the brand new rules set to take effect later this 12 months.

Including non-EU international locations including Britain and Switzerland, TikTok has 150 million customers.

Google, Twitter, Apple and Facebook and Instagram can even face the stricter EU scrutiny, in step with month-to-month person numbers they released in time for a Friday cut-off date.

Facebook has 255 million monthly lively customers, while Instagram has 250 million users, figure corporation Meta said. Twitter said it has one hundred.9 million customers, inclusive of both registered customers and people who didn’t check in.Apple stated its iOS App Store had extra than 45 million users but didn’t deliver a particular range. Google said its Search provider has 332 million signed-in users, while YouTube has 401.7 million signed-in customers.