VIENNA: Online privacy campaigners said Thursday they had filed complaints in several European countries against six Chinese companies including TikTok, accusing them of "unlawfully" sending Europeans' personal data to China.

Prominent Austria-based privacy campaign group NOYB (None of Your Business) said it has lodged six complaints against TikTok, AliExpress, SHEIN, Temu, WeChat and Xiaomi -- in its first such action against Chinese companies. The complaints were filed in Austria, Belgium, Greece, Italy and the Netherlands.

Noyb has launched several legal cases against US technology giants such as Meta and Google, often prompting action from regulatory authorities over violations of the EU's landmark General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The GDPR aims to make it easier for people to control how companies use their personal information. "Given that China is an authoritarian surveillance state, it is crystal clear that China doesn't offer the same level of data protection as the EU," said NOYB data protection lawyer Kleanthi Sardeli.

"Transferring Europeans' personal data is clearly unlawful –- and must be terminated immediately," Sardeli said according to a statement. According to the privacy group, AliExpress, SHEIN, TikTok and Xiaomi "transfer data to China", while Temu and WeChat mention transfers to "third countries".

"As none of the companies responded adequately to the complainants' access requests, we have to assume that this includes China," the statement added. Noyb believes that "the rise of Chinese apps opens (up) a new front" for EU data protection law. TikTok declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

Noyb said it is seeking administrative fines of up to four percent of the companies' global sales, which could amount to 1.35 billion euros ($1.39 billion) for Temu. The group began working in 2018 with the advent of the GDPR. – AFP