TikTok’s use of data

Sir, – It is time for a serious conversation regarding TikTok’s new €600 million data centre due to open in Ireland early next year. While the data centre will certainly generate jobs and a positive economic impact, questions over TikTok’s use of data are a cause for concern.

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is headquartered in Beijing and subject to Chinese law, allowing the Chinese government to demand access to data, including that which is held abroad.

In June US news outlets reported that some American users’ data had been accessed from China.

Last month Italian data regulators sounded the alarm over new privacy policy changes proposed by the company without users’ consent. Our own Data Protection Commission has two open investigations into TikTok regarding children’s personal data and transfers of personal data to China. It is clear there is a trend emerging, one that should receive as much attention as those found on the app. – Yours, etc,