Official announcements from the European Commission

EU Probes TikTok for Russian Interference in Romanian Election Supporting Calin Georgescu

Dec 17, 2024, 01:45 PM

The European Commission has initiated formal proceedings against TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, over concerns that the platform failed to adequately address risks related to election integrity during Romania's recent presidential elections. The investigation focuses on TikTok's compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA), particularly its handling of systemic risks associated with the elections held on November 24. The probe was prompted by allegations of Russian interference, which led to the annulment of the election results by Romania's Supreme Court. The European Commission is examining TikTok's recommendation systems and policies on political ads and paid content, following serious indications of foreign actors using the platform to influence the election outcome. The focus includes an 'aggressive promotion campaign' for candidate Calin Georgescu, involving payments totaling $381,000 to TikTok influencers. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the need to protect democracies from foreign interference.