TikTok opens new 'Transparency and Accountability Centre'

Video-sharing platform TikTok has officially opened its new Dublin Transparency and Accountability Centre (DUBTAC).

The centre is located at its Irish headquarters in a Dublin office building called The Sorting Office.

TikTok, along with other platforms, has come under fire for not doing enough to remove harmful content and for using algorithms that push inappropriate content into the feeds of younger users.

The new transparency centre is designed to showcase TikTok's work in the areas of content moderation, recommendation technology and data privacy.

The company said that academics, businesses, policymakers, politicians, regulators, researchers and other experts will be able to engage in direct observation of its practices at the new facility.

Similar centres have already been opened by TikTok in Los Angeles, Washington DC and Singapore.

"It's fitting to open this space in Dublin as it really is a showcase of the work many of our highly skilled teams here do across the areas of data security, privacy and trust and safety," said Elaine Fox, Head of Ireland for TikTok.

"We look forward to welcoming guests from Europe and around the world, and offering them insights into how we safeguard our platform and the 1bn people globally that come to it every month," Ms Fox said.

DUBTAC was officially opened by Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary.

"The new Transparency and Accountability Centre will undertake another important area of work for TikTok aligning with both the Trust and Safety and Privacy Hubs," Mr Calleary said.

The centre will also provide details of 'Project Clover', TikTok's effort to assure regulators that European user data is secure.

The Chinese-owned platform has faced scrutiny over how much access China has to user data.

Under 'Project Clover' European user information is being stored at data centres in Ireland and Norway.

In April 2023, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued guidance advising Irish Government departments and state agencies against the use of TikTok on official devices.

The US and UK governments, as well as EU institutions, have also banned the platform on staff devices over cybersecurity fears.

TikTok has described the government bans as misguided.