At TikTok, protecting European* user data is our top priority. As part of Project Clover, our industry-leading data security initiative, we have taken another significant step: all three buildings in our Norwegian data centre are now online. The data centre in Hamar, Norway, developed by Green Mountain, plays an important role in the local economy. The site currently supports around 200 jobs, including IT engineers, electricians, and cooling specialists, contributing to regional employment and technological expertise.

Sustainability is also a core focus. The data centre is operating with a highly efficient energy model designed to maximize resource utilization. Together with the developer, TikTok is actively exploring ways to repurpose waste heat from the facility for local use, further contributing to Norway’s green energy transition.

The establishment of our Norwegian data centre is a key part of our efforts to strengthen our dedicated European enclave where European user data is stored by default.

Strengthening data security in Europe

We have invested heavily in Project Clover, our €12 billion initiative over 10 years, designed to ensure European user data is protected with the highest security standards for our 175 million European users.

To ensure transparency and security, we have engaged NCC Group, the leading European cybersecurity firm, to independently oversee, check, and verify our data controls and protections, monitor data flows, provide independent verification and report any anomalies, a level of transparency and oversight unmatched amongst online platforms. NCC Group has also confirmed that TikTok’s data collection practices align with our European Privacy Policy in a recent assessment.

Project Clover at a glance

  • TikTok has engaged with NCC Group to independently oversee, check, and verify our data controls and protections, monitor data flows, provide independent verification and report any anomalies.
  • TikTok's European user data is stored by default in a dedicated European data enclave, hosted across data centres in Norway, Ireland, and the US.
  • Strict access controls enforced by security gateways ensure that employees in China have no access to restricted data, such as phone numbers or IP addresses, stored in our European enclave.
  • Advanced privacy-enhancing technologies de-identify certain data that needs to flow globally to operate a global platform, further protecting data.

With Project Clover, our voluntary multi-billion euro initiative, TikTok has implemented a comprehensive system that ensures unparalleled protection for European user data and privacy, above and beyond existing regulations, while enabling secure global data flows and innovation. The Norwegian data centre is a key part of these efforts.

Read more about Project Clover here: https://www.tiktokeds.com

*European’ refers to EEA countries, the UK, and Switzerland.