TikTok tried to calm data-sharing fears two years ago, saying that it would store user data in Europe, sending only very limited data to China. The Irish regulator says that TikTok has now admitted to storing some European user data in China, which the company says has now been deleted.

The Irish regulator found the video-sharing app did not 'address potential access by Chinese authorities to European Economic Area (EEA) personal data under Chinese anti-terrorism, counter-espionage and other laws.

Regulators say the platform wasn't transparent enough and that it couldn't guarantee the data was protected from Chinese government surveillance.