The European Commission has launched an investigation into TikTok for potential violation of the law on digital services (DSA). The investigation began following suspicions that the platform failed to properly assess and address systemic risks related to safeguarding the integrity of elections, particularly in light of the recent presidential elections in Romania held on November 24th.
The probe focuses on concerns regarding foreign interference in elections through the TikTok platform and examines whether TikTok is complying with DSA requirements that mandate platforms to implement measures to counter such threats.
The investigation will primarily scrutinize two key areas: the functioning of TikTok’s recommendation systems, with a focus on risks linked to coordinated manipulations and automated operations, as well as the presence of political advertising and paid political content on the platform.
The investigation will seek to determine whether TikTok has taken adequate steps to mitigate risks related to the regional and linguistic peculiarities of national elections. The duration of the investigation is unspecified and will vary based on the case’s complexity, the company’s level of cooperation, and its exercise of the right to defend itself.
The decision to initiate the investigation was based on declassified intelligence information from Romanian authorities, third-party reports, evaluation reports on risks by TikTok in 2023 and 2024, the company’s responses to the commission’s inquiries, and internal documents provided.
The commission will continue to gather evidence through additional information requests, interviews, monitoring, and verification, with a focus on examining the platform’s algorithms. TikTok has been instructed to furnish data and documents under an information preservation order issued on December 5.
TikTok was directed on December 5, 2024, to freeze and retain data related to potential risks posed by the platform to elections and public discourse in the EU. This directive pertains to national elections conducted in the European Union from November 24, 2024, to March 31, 2025.
The Irish Coimisión Na Meán, the digital services regulator in Ireland, is involved in the investigation given that Ireland is TikTok’s official EU registration location, making it a crucial participant in the inquiry.