Dec. 17 (UPI) — The European Commission on Tuesday launched a probe against TikTok for the way it handles elections, particularly in Romania where ultranationalist Calin Georgescu shocked experts with a surprise victory.
The commission said according to the law, TikTok and other social media outlets are obligated to assess the mitigate election interference threats.
The probe, it said, will examine TikTok’s “recommender systems,” particularly the risks associated with the “coordinated inauthentic manipulation or automated exploitation of the service” and the app’s policies on political advertisements and paid-for political content.
“We must protect our democracies from any kind of foreign interference,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. “Whenever we suspect such interference, especially during elections, we have to act swiftly and firmly.
“Following serious indications that foreign actors interfered in the Romanian presidential election by using TikTok, we are now thoroughly investigating whether TikTok has violated the Digital Services Act by failing to tackle such risk.”
Romanian authorities had complained about “irregularities” on the platform that led to the election of the pro-Russia Georgescu. Officials are charging that TikTok violated the bloc’s Digital Services Act for allowing “coordinated inauthentic manipulation or automated exploitation of the service.”
The European Commission slapped TikTok with a retention order on Dec. 5, demanding that it freeze and preserve data related to actual and foreseeable systemic risks its service could pose on electoral processes and civic discourse among member states.
“I am confident that our investigation into TikTok’s practices will contribute to a safer and more trustworthy online environment for all EU citizens, and I look forward to working closely with TikTok to address any concerns that may arise,” said Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy with the European Commission.
