TikTok wants to reassure Brussels. The popular social network, owned by the Chinese group ByteDance, announced this Wednesday, March 8, about its “Clover Project”. This is a set of measures aimed at improving the security of the personal data of its European users.
In order to locally store the data of its 150 million European users, TikTok has confirmed the opening of two new data centers, in Ireland and Norway. They join the first European data center opened by the group last year, in Ireland.
“Once completed, these three centers will be the default storage location for the data of European TikTok users. They represent a total annual investment of 1.2 billion euros,” the company calculates.
security audit
Beyond data centers, the company says it wants to conduct a security audit. “We are in an advanced stage of discussions with an external European partner and we will be able to announce more details as soon as possible”, continues Theo Bertram.
This service provider will be in charge of “supervising and auditing data security in Europe,” according to the press release. You will also have to “control data flows” and “report any possible incident.”
This project aims to replicate the model already established in the United States, in partnership with Oracle.
Multiplication of surveys
These announcements come at a sensitive time for TikTok, which has been criticized from all sides, both in Europe and in the United States. It is suspected that the social network does not sufficiently protect the personal data of its users and that it potentially transmits it to the Chinese authorities in case of requests.
That is why the European Commission, as well as the European Parliament and the Council of the EU recently demanded the removal of the social network from employees’ professional smartphones. The same is true of US parliamentarians and House staff, as well as the Canadian government.
Research on his model is multiplying. In France, at the initiative of the political group Les Indépendants, the Senate inaugurated a commission of inquiry at the beginning of February. The latter will investigate the use and influence strategy of the Chinese social network, already accused of espionage in the United States.
Will these new measures prevent the transfer of personal data of European users to China?
active lobbying
These ads have been the subject of active lobbying with public authorities, Politico reports. The company’s legal director, Erich Andersen, took the opportunity to tour the main European capitals to spread the word to the authorities.
The latter was in London, as well as Brussels, and will be in Paris and The Hague in the coming days. Digital Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced on Wednesday that he would receive it on Friday. He intends to ask for “the company’s roadmap and commitments”, as well as a “precise operational calendar” of the measures adopted to protect the data of its users.
Source: BFM TV
