Austrian Privacy Group Targets Chinese Tech Giants Over GDPR Compliance

European privacy advocacy group noyb has filed complaints against TikTok, AliExpress, and WeChat with data protection authorities in Belgium, Greece, and the Netherlands. The allegations center on these platforms' alleged failure to provide users full access to their personal data as required under EU law.

The complaints highlight a growing rift between European regulators and Chinese tech firms. Noyb argues these companies deliberately obscure data processing practices, particularly regarding transfers to China. Unlike Western tech firms that typically offer data download tools, the group claims Chinese platforms make such access 'almost impossible.'

Kleanthi Sardeli, a data protection lawyer at noyb, asserts these companies benefit from collecting extensive user data while maintaining opacity about its usage. The complaints could trigger significant regulatory scrutiny, echoing previous noyb actions that resulted in billions in fines against US tech giants.