SOURCE / COMPANIES
TikTok cooperating fully with French investigation over privacy concerns
Published: Aug 12, 2020 12:34 PM

TikTok Photo: VCG

TikTok is fully cooperating with an investigation from the French national data protection authority over privacy concerns, the company said.

"TikTok's top priority is protecting our users' privacy and safety. We are aware of the investigation by the National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL) and are fully cooperating with them," a TikTok spokesperson told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The comments came in response to reports of an investigation by the CNIL, a French administrative regulatory body which began investigating TikTok's website and app in May after receiving a complaint at that date, it claimed, according to written comments sent to Reuters by a spokesman for the authority on the case.

The CNIL spokesman said that "the investigations concern the level of information provided to TikTok's users and how they can exercise their rights, the flow of data going out of the EU and measures taken to protect minors," according to Reuters.

"To date, the CNIL continues its investigations and participates in ongoing European work," Reuters reported, citing the spokesman.

The Chinese app has been actively proving that it does not have the security issues the US claims it does.

TikTok had 4.4 million monthly active users in France, 5.5 million in Germany and 5.4 million in the UK as of June 15, according to market consultancy firm Take Some Risk Inc.

Following the US government's move to ban the app, Europe has become an ideal battleground for TikTok, analysts said.