The European Commission has announced the launch of formal proceedings against TikTok to determine whether it adequately assesses and addresses risks to electoral integrity, particularly following the results of the recent presidential elections in Romania.
The decision comes specifically after “serious indications that foreign actors intervened in the Romanian presidential elections using TikTok,” as stated by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
On December 6, the Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the result of the first round of the presidential elections on November 24, due to information from the country’s security services regarding orchestrated interference in the elections through TikTok and other platforms.
According to a statement on Tuesday, the Commission is launching formal proceedings against the platform for possible violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which will focus on the management of systemic risks to electoral integrity and the quality of public discourse.
“We must protect our democracies from all forms of foreign interference. Whenever we suspect such interference, especially during elections, we must act quickly and decisively,” emphasised Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“Following serious indications that foreign actors interfered in the Romanian presidential elections using TikTok, we are now thoroughly investigating whether TikTok violated the Digital Services Act by failing to address such risks. It should be absolutely clear that in the EU, all online platforms, including TikTok, must be held accountable,” she stated.
The proceedings will focus on the mechanisms by which the platform recommends content to users, TikTok’s policies on political advertising, and paid political content.
The decision to launch an investigation takes into account information from declassified intelligence reports from the Romanian authorities, as well as reports from third parties. The investigation also follows the analysis of risk assessment reports submitted by TikTok in 2023 and 2024, responses to the Commission’s requests for information, and internal documents submitted by TikTok.
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