The European Commission has opened formal proceedings against TikTok following suspicions of interference with Romania's presidential elections, according to a press statement on Tuesday.
The online platform is suspected of breaching the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which sets out to protect user rights and ensure fair competition. The investigation will assess TikTok's management of risks to the integrity of elections and civic discourse, specifically with regard to political advertisements and the algorithmic content selection of the platform.
The announcement comes weeks after the Romanian presidential elections were annulled due to suspicions of Russian interference, in which TikTok allegedly played a significant role.
"We must protect our democracies from any kind of foreign interference," stated Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, "It should be crystal clear that in the EU, all online platforms, including TikTok, must be held accountable.”
On 5 December, the Commission ordered TikTok to preserve any data relating to (potential) systemic risks of the platform to civic discourse and electoral processes in the EU. The order applies to national elections in the EU between 24 November 2024 and 31 March 2025.
It is unclear how long the Commission's in-depth investigation will last. There is no set legal deadline to end a formal proceeding under the DSA. This is the third time the Commission has launched an investigation against TikTok regarding potential DSA breaches.
