TikTok under investigation by Europe due to potential election meddling post-Romanian vote
The European Commission initiated formal proceedings against TikTok on Tuesday, accusing the social media platform of allegedly not preventing interference in elections, notably in Romania's recent presidential vote.
The EU's administrative body intends to request data and scrutinize TikTok's political advertisement policy and paid content, along with its recommendation generation systems and potential manipulation risks.
On December 5, the Commission instructed TikTok to halt data related to the Romanian election under the Digital Services Act, a comprehensive European regulation governing significant social media companies.
Following accusations of Russian meddling and the pro-Russia ultranationalist Calin Georgescu's victory in the initial round, Romania's highest court eventually abolished the presidential election.
The formal proceedings on Tuesday grant the Commission authority to impose additional measures and accept TikTok's proposed commitments. There's no specified deadline for concluding these proceedings.
TikTok, owned by Bytedance and based in China, asserted it has safeguarded its platform throughout over 150 elections worldwide and supplied the European Commission with extensive information on its anti-interference efforts.
The company further declared it does not accept paid political advertisements and actively eliminates content that breaches its policies on misinformation and hate speech.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated the new probe stemmed from strong evidence that foreign actors meddled in the Romanian presidential election.
"We must shield our democracies from any form of foreign interference. Whenever suspect foreign interference, particularly during elections, we must react swiftly and decisively," she said in a statement.
The Commission recognizes the potential for interference in Germany's parliamentary election in February and Croatia's presidential election, starting December 29.
The European Commission expresses concern about potential tech interference in future elections, such as Germany's parliamentary election in February, given the ongoing proceedings against TikTok, a prominent business in the tech sector.
To mitigate such risks, tech companies like TikTok are expected to enhance their election-related data protection measures and adhere strictly to European regulations, ensuring a level playing field for all political entities.
