China has firmly denied allegations that it compels companies like TikTok to illegally collect or store personal data, following the launch of an investigation by Ireland’s data watchdog into the social media giant’s handling of European user information.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, July 11, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated, “The Chinese government attaches great importance to and protects data privacy and security in accordance with the law.” She stressed that Beijing “has never and will never require companies or individuals to illegally collect or store data.”
Mao also urged the European Union to uphold principles of fair play. “We call on the European side to respect the market economy and fair competition, and provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for companies from all countries,” she said.
TikTok, owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance, has come under increasing pressure from Western authorities concerned about the potential misuse of user data for espionage or state-driven narratives. The company has consistently denied sharing European users’ data with the Chinese government.
In May, the Irish Data Protection Commission slapped TikTok with a €530 million ($620 million) fine over violations related to data transfers to China. The company responded by claiming the data in question was only accessed remotely, not physically moved across borders.
With over 1.5 billion users worldwide, TikTok remains under close international scrutiny, even as it seeks to assure regulators and users of its commitment to data security and privacy standards.
