Ireland’s national watchdog, Data Protection Commission (DPC) has launched a fresh investigation into TikTok after the platform revealed that some European users’ data had briefly been stored on Chinese servers, contradicting earlier assurances.

The DPC is TikTok’s lead regulator in the European Union because the social media company has its European headquarters in Dublin and it said the new inquiry will focus specifically on data held in China—an element not examined in its previous four-year probe.

Previously in May, the commission fined the ByteDance-owned company €530 million (about $620 million) for shortcomings in safeguarding EU user information, some of which was accessed remotely by staff in China.

While TikTok had repeatedly told regulators that it did not store EU data in China, it disclosed in April that a “limited amount” had been housed there two months earlier and was subsequently deleted.

A TikTok spokesperson said the issue was self-identified. “Our proactive report to the DPC underscores our commitment to transparency and data security.”

The company is appealing the 2 May penalty, arguing that the ruling could set a precedent affecting other globally operating businesses across Europe.

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