The Chinese government has stated that it “has never and will never” compel companies or individuals to collect or provide data in violation of the law.

This statement was made by a foreign ministry spokesperson on Jan. 17.

This response comes after a complaint filed by the Austrian advocacy group Noyb, which named six Chinese companies, including TikTok, Shein, and Xiaomi.

It has accused these firms of unlawfully transferring user data from the European Union to China.