Data Protection Concerns: Companies Under Fire for Unlawful Data Transfers

A Growing Concern in the European Union

The Austrian privacy non-profit organization, None of Your Business (noyb), has filed complaints against several companies, including TikTok, AliExpress, SHEIN, Temu, WeChat, and Xiaomi, for violating data protection regulations in the European Union. The complaints accuse these companies of unlawfully transferring users’ data to China, where it may be potentially accessed by the Chinese government.

The Complaints

The advocacy group is seeking an immediate suspension of such transfers, stating that the companies in question cannot shield user data from being accessed by the Chinese government. The complaints have been filed in Austria, Belgium, Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands.

Data Protection Concerns

Kleanthi Sardeli, data protection lawyer at noyb, stated, "Given that China is an authoritarian surveillance state, it is crystal clear that China doesn’t offer the same level of data protection as the E.U. Transferring Europeans’ personal data is clearly unlawful – and it’s a serious breach of trust." The group is pushing for companies to take responsibility for protecting user data and ensuring that it is not transferred to countries with questionable data protection records.

Online Privacy Safeguards

In addition to addressing data protection concerns, the consumer protection agency has also announced amendments to online privacy safeguards for children under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA). The amendments require obtaining verifiable parental consent prior to processing children’s data for advertising purposes or sharing it with third-parties.

New Data Retention Policies

The rule imposes new data retention policies, necessitating that companies only retain children’s information "for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill a specific purpose for which it was collected." This change aims to limit the ability of companies to monetize children’s data without active permission.

Conclusion

The recent complaints and amendments to online privacy safeguards highlight the growing concern over data protection in the European Union. As companies continue to transfer user data to countries with questionable data protection records, it is essential for regulatory bodies to take action and ensure that user data is protected.

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