The European Commission has launched formal proceedings against TikTok for its alleged failure to limit election interference. Brussels said it would ask for information and investigate the social media’s policy on political advertising and paid political content, as well as systems for generating recommendations and risks of manipulation.
The investigation will concern the suspected violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in relation to TikTok’s obligation to assess and mitigate systemic risks related to the integrity of the elections, in particular in the context of the Romanian presidential elections of 24 November won surprisingly by far-right pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu. The initiation of a formal procedure authorizes the Commission to adopt further control measures and to accept commitments to be made by TikTok.
La defenders on TikTok
The company, owned by China’s Bytedance, has ensured that it has protected the integrity of its platform through more than 150 elections around the world and has provided the European Commission with extensive information on its efforts.
“We have protected the integrity of our platform throughout more than 150 elections around the world. We continue to proactively address these industry-wide challenges. TikTok has made detailed information about our efforts available to the European Commission and we have publicly and transparently illustrated our robust initiatives,” a company spokesperson said.
“Protect our democracies”
Romania’s Supreme Court recently annulled the presidential elections after accusations of Russian interference and the victory of the ultranationalist Georgescu in the first round. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the new investigation would follow serious indications of interference by foreign actors in Romania’s presidential elections. “We must protect our democracies from any kind of foreign interference. Whenever we suspect interference of this kind, especially during elections, we must act quickly and firmly,” he said in a statement.
Brussels also fears risks of interference in the German parliamentary elections on 24 February and in the presidential elections in Croatia which will begin on 29 December. This is the third investigation launched by the Commission against TikTok under the DSA, the other two were related to risks to minors. One was closed after TikTok pledged to remove TikTok LiteRewards from the EU.
Related News :