EU Probes TikTok Over Alleged Russian Interference in Romania's Election, Citing DSA Violations

Dec 17, 2024, 11:00 AM

The European Commission has initiated a formal investigation into TikTok under the Digital Services Act (DSA) following allegations of Russian interference in Romania's presidential election. The investigation focuses on TikTok's recommender systems and its policies on political advertising and paid-for content, amid concerns that the platform's algorithms were manipulated to influence the election outcome. The probe was prompted by the unexpected victory of Călin Georgescu, a far-right and pro-Russian candidate, in the first round of the election, which was later annulled due to allegations of foreign interference. TikTok influencers are suspected of playing a role in this manipulation. The Commission's President, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasized the need to protect EU democracies from such interference, stating that the investigation aims to determine if TikTok failed to mitigate risks related to election integrity. This is a significant test of the EU's new social media regulation rules, and TikTok could face fines of up to 6% of its global revenue if found non-compliant.