The short-form video-sharing service TikTok updated its privacy policy for European Economic Area (“EEA”), the UK, and Switzerland and confirmed that its users’ data can be accessed by its personnel, including Chinese employees.
European user data could be also accessed by TikTok staff in Brazil, Canada and Israel as well as the US and Singapore, where user data is currently stored.
“Based on a demonstrated need to do their job, subject to a series of robust security controls and approval protocols, and by way of methods that are recognised under the GDPR [the EU’s general data protection regulation], we allow certain employees within our corporate group located in Brazil, Canada, China, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States, remote access to TikTok European user data.” said Elaine Fox, TikTok’s head of privacy in Europe.
The Guardian revealed that the privacy policy update will go live on December 2, 2022.
The company pointed out that it doesn’t collect precise location information from its users in Europe.
TikTok also claims to have in place security controls to prevent any abuse of user data and implement system access restrictions.
