Social network TikTok confirms that under the app’s new terms of service, which came into effect next month, European user data can be viewed by company employees in multiple locations, including China . The clarification of the privacy policy comes at a time when there is increased attention to the issue of personal data protection, as well as greater political tension between China and Western countries.

Brazil, Canada, the United States, Israel, Singapore and, as mentioned, China, are the countries where European TikTok user data is sent and stored, and can also be accessed by technology employees.

Elaine Fox, Chief Privacy Officer at TikTok in Europe, confirms that “based on a demonstrated need for the performance of their work, subject to a series of robust security checks and approval protocols, per through methods recognized by the General Data Protection Regulation [RGPD]we allow certain group employees in Brazil, Canada, China, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and the United States to access European user data remotely. The Guardian.

The policy update will take effect on December 2 and applies to users in the United Kingdom, European Economic Area and Switzerland.

These types of data transactions are already being analyzed by the US Department of Commerce, at the request of President Joe Biden, as well as by the data protection regulator in Ireland, which has jurisdiction over TikTok’s European presence. Michael Veale, professor of digital rights at University College London, explains that “it is extraordinarily difficult to systematically send user data from the EU to China because contracts between a Chinese company and a European company cannot prevent state access”.

However, the expert also says he is not “convinced that the Chinese government is focused on spying on individual TikTok users.” They have other means of obtaining private information. Developing and deepening a platform of influence is, in itself, a powerful goal.

The new version of the text also clarifies that TikTok does not collect precise location information from users. The still-current version mentions that “with your permission, we may collect precise location information (such as GPS)”.