Dublin: TikTok's European data center encounters further delays

Further delays have been announced regarding TikTok’s first data center in Europe. Its Dublin-based facility was initially planned to be up and running by early 2022, but due to what the company said were delays related to Covid, the facility’s opening was pushed back to late 2022. Now the company has said the facility won’t be up and running until 2023. 

In a statement, discussing the reasons behind the delays, a TikTok spokesperson said: “We initially announced our intention to establish a data center in August 2020. The challenges resulting from the ongoing global pandemic have significantly impacted our original timeline.” 

According to the company, the facility will start with a capacity of 30 megawatts, expanding to 60 megawatts by the end of 2023. The video-sharing app has also said that its plan is to localize EU users’ data in the region, and claimed that employee access to data would be limited, as would data exports.  

Commenting on the announcement, TikTok’s Europe head of privacy Elaine Fox, said: “This latest investment also further cements the importance of Ireland to our global business operations. Since 2020, we’ve established and expanded a number of strategically-important functions including our EMEA Trust & Safety and European SMB Hubs." She added: "Last year, we launched our European Transparency and Accountability Center, where we have virtually hosted hundreds of industry experts, providing them with detailed insights into how we secure our community’s safety, data, and privacy.”