TikTok’s European operations should be under European ownership, urged Germany’s Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer on Tuesday. This comes after ByteDance, the Chinese company behind TikTok, relinquished control of its US operations to a joint venture majority-owned by Americans to avoid a potential ban in the US.
Weimer emphasized the need for Europe to emulate the US model and scrutinize TikTok’s ownership structure. He highlighted concerns over the vast data collection by TikTok on European youth, emphasizing the unknown origin of the data servers. Weimer expressed worry about the privacy of European youth’s data, urging that TikTok’s European business should be in European hands.
When approached for comment, TikTok declined to respond. The platform has previously addressed EU worries by storing European users’ data within Europe with restricted access. However, the European Commission did not support Weimer’s stance, emphasizing the importance of companies complying with regulations rather than focusing on ownership or origin.
TikTok is currently under investigation by the EU for compliance with digital content regulations. In February, the EU warned TikTok to modify its design to reduce addiction risks or face severe penalties. Additionally, TikTok is facing a separate probe for alleged foreign interference during the Romanian presidential elections in late 2024.
