TikTok has announced it will spend €420 million to open its first European data centre in Ireland. It will store videos, messages and other data generated by European users, and is expected to be operational by 2022.
“TikTok’s decision to establish its first European data centre in Ireland, representing a substantial investment here by the company, is very welcome and, following on from the establishment of its EMEA Trust & Safety Hub in Dublin earlier in the year, positions Ireland as an important location in the company’s global operations”, said Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland, the Irish State agency responsible for attracting foreign investment.
ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, is set to move its headquarters from Beijing to London, media reported earlier.
The announcement comes at a time when United States president Donald Trump has threatened to ban the app in the US on the grounds its Chinese ownership makes it a national security risk. ByteDance has denied the accusation.
Currently, all TikTok data is stored at centres in the US and Singapore. The company is also in talks to sell its US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand operations to Microsoft.
