On Tuesday, the European Commission officially opened formal proceedings against TikTok over concerns regarding its failure to prevent election interference, particularly during Romania’s presidential election last month.
Focus of the Investigation
The Commission’s investigation will primarily examine TikTok’s policies on political advertisements, including paid political content, and the platform’s recommendation systems to determine whether they could be manipulated to influence elections. TikTok will be required to provide detailed information about its content moderation practices and the risks associated with these systems.
The investigation, which could lead to further enforcement actions or commitments from TikTok, has no set timeline for completion. However, the opening of formal proceedings allows the Commission to take further steps if necessary.
TikTok’s Defense
In response, TikTok, owned by China’s Bytedance, defended its actions, stating that it had safeguarded the integrity of its platform across more than 150 elections globally. TikTok emphasized that it does not accept paid political advertisements and actively removes content that violates its policies, such as misinformation and hate speech.
On December 5, the European Commission ordered TikTok to freeze data related to the Romanian election under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which governs the operation of major social media companies in Europe. The Romanian court later annulled the election due to allegations of Russian interference and the victory of pro-Russia ultranationalist Calin Georgescu.
Broader Context and Future Elections
The Commission is concerned about potential foreign interference in upcoming elections, such as Germany’s parliamentary election in February and Croatia’s presidential election starting on December 29. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed the need to act swiftly and firmly against any foreign interference, particularly during elections.
This marks the third investigation the European Commission has opened against TikTok under the DSA, with previous cases focusing on risks to minors. One investigation was closed after TikTok agreed to remove its TikTok Lite Rewards program in the EU.