European Commission Initiates Investigation Against TikTok

The European Commission has officially launched proceedings against TikTok for potential violations of the Digital Services Act. Euronews reports that this move is linked to acquiring evidence of Russian interference in Romania's elections.

The Commission is currently collecting data to determine whether TikTok has breached EU law. On November 24, during Romania's presidential elections, independent nationalist Călin Georgescu achieved a surprise victory in the first round, garnering 23 percent of the votes. The elections were annulled after the Constitutional Court received evidence of Russian interference during the voting process, particularly regarding TikTok. This evidence was provided by the Romanian intelligence service.

Advertisements for Georgescu spread on TikTok, which, according to the Commission, seemed unnatural for the platform. Commission experts believe that such advertising could have been disseminated through bots and fake accounts. If it is found that TikTok’s actions do not comply with EU legislation, the platform could face fines of up to 6 percent of its global revenue.