The European Commission has initiated formal proceedings against TikTok, suspecting the platform of violating the Digital Services Act (DSA) in relation to its role in the Romanian presidential election. The investigation follows allegations of Russian interference in the election, particularly on TikTok, as identified by Romania's intelligence services.

Concerns have been raised regarding TikTok's recommendation algorithm and its handling of political advertisements. The platform is under scrutiny for potentially failing to adequately mitigate risks to the integrity of the election process. The Commission will gather further evidence to determine whether TikTok breached EU law. If the company is found non-compliant, it could face penalties of up to 6% of its global revenue.

The controversy arose after the November 24 election, which saw the surprising success of Georgescu, an independent nationalist and Eurosceptic candidate. The election results were later annulled when the Constitutional Court confirmed reports of foreign interference, specifically on TikTok. The interference allegedly involved the proliferation of content promoting Georgescu, which the Commission suspects may have been amplified by fake accounts and bots.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, emphasized the urgency of acting swiftly when election interference is suspected. She stressed the importance of holding all online platforms accountable under EU law, including TikTok. The Commission had already requested information from the platform at the end of November, seeking to understand what actions TikTok had taken to address potential algorithmic bias in the election.

Following this, the Commission issued a "retention order" requiring TikTok to submit data on its recommendation systems from November 24 to March 21 for analysis. This marks the first stage of the investigation, which could lead to further actions depending on the findings. The Commission's actions are part of a broader effort to ensure online platforms comply with EU regulations, particularly when foreign interference is suspected.

Source: European Commission