Noyb Targets Chinese Apps TikTok, AliExpress and WeChat Over GDPR Violations
Noyb, a non-profit organization focused on privacy rights, has filed three complaints under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) against Chinese-owned apps TikTok, AliExpress, and WeChat. The complaints, submitted on July 17, accuse these apps of failing to properly respond to data access requests from European users. The GDPR grants individuals the right to request copies of their personal data, but Noyb found that these companies either did not respond, provided incomplete data, or sent inaccessible files.
According to Noyb, TikTok responded to a data access request only partially, AliExpress provided a broken file, and WeChat ignored the request altogether. The organization criticized these companies for not implementing automated systems that would allow users to easily download their personal data, a feature that is standard among many other providers. Noyb also stated that Chinese apps perform worse than some US-based companies in this regard.
The complaints have been filed in different EU countries: TikTok in Greece, AliExpress in Belgium, and WeChat in the Netherlands. Noyb has a history of filing similar complaints, including actions against European and US tech companies that led to enforcement measures and fines. Under GDPR, fines can reach up to 4% of a company’s global revenue, which could mean billions for large companies like TikTok. However, previous fines, such as the €4.75 million penalty imposed on Netflix in 2024 after a Noyb complaint, show that actual penalties may be lower.
Tencent, the parent company of WeChat, responded by stating that WeChat complies with local laws and prioritizes user privacy and data security. TikTok and AliExpress had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication. This ongoing scrutiny highlights the challenges Chinese apps face in meeting European data protection standards.
