Austrian privacy advocate NOYB has filed the first GDPR complaints against Chinese businesses. The organization filed complaints against TikTok, Xiaomi, Shein, AliExpress, Temu and WeChat, alleging that these companies illegally transferred information about European users to parties in China. The group is seeking a suspension of data transfers to China, as well as fines of up to four percent of the firm's global revenue. NOYB is an acronym for “none of your business” and is led by activist Max Schrems, known for his campaigns against Facebook.
The General Data Protection Regulation is the rule governing information privacy in the EU. According to this regulation, data transfers outside the EU are only permitted if the destination country does not undermine data protection. Calling China an “authoritarian surveillance state,” NOYB argues that data transfers to the country should not be allowed.
“In accordance with their privacy policies, AliExpress, SHEIN, TikTok and Xiaomi transfer data to China,” NOYB said in a statement. announcing the promotion. “Temu and WeChat mention transfers to third countries. According to the corporate structure of Temu and WeChat, this most likely includes China.”
NOYB has previously filed complaints against US major tech firms, including And for potential GDPR violations.