TikTok is planning two more European data centers as the popular Chinese video-sharing app seeks to allay growing privacy concerns for its users in the West
Feb 17, 2023 7:16 am ET
• 3 minutes reading time
LONDON — TikTok announced on Friday that two more European data centers are planned as the popular Chinese video-sharing app seeks to allay growing privacy concerns for its users in the West.
TikTok has been criticized by European and American authorities over concerns that it could collect bulk user data and send it to China.
The company’s general manager for European operations, Rich Waterworth, said in a blog post that it was “at an advanced stage of finalizing a plan” with a third-party provider for a second data center in Ireland. Last year it announced its first center there.
TikTok is also in talks to set up a third European data center without specifying a location.
“In terms of on-premises data storage, we’re looking to expand our European data storage capacity as our community grows,” said Waterworth.
Data for European TikTok users will be migrated to the new centers starting this year, Waterworth said.
TikTok is hugely popular among young people, but its Chinese ownership has raised fears that Beijing could use it to collect data on Western users or spread pro-Chinese narratives and misinformation. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.
A senior European Union official warned CEO Shou Zi Chew last month that the company must comply with the 27-nation bloc’s sweeping new digital rules.
The Digital Services Act requires online platforms and tech companies with 45 million or more users to take additional steps to take down illegal content and disinformation, or potentially face billions in fines.
TikTok reported on Friday that it had 125 million monthly active users in the EU, crossing the threshold for additional scrutiny under new rules due to come into force later this year.
Including non-EU countries like the UK and Switzerland, TikTok has 150 million users.
Google, Twitter, Apple and Facebook and Instagram will also face tougher EU scrutiny, according to monthly user numbers they released in time for a Friday deadline.
Facebook has 255 million monthly active users, while Instagram has 250 million users, parent company Meta said. Twitter said it has 100.9 million users, including both registered users and those who have not signed up.
Apple said its iOS App Store has more than 45 million users, but didn’t give an exact number. Google said its search service has 332 million registered users, while YouTube has 401.7 million registered users.
