The European Commission launched an investigation into TikTok this week to address allegations that the social media giant facilitated foreign interference in Romania’s 2024 elections.
The Chinese video-sharing platform, widely popular worldwide, is believed to have violated the EU’s Digital Services Act, which prohibits interference and foreign influence operations in the elections of its member states.
The probe follows Romania’s Constitutional Court's unanimous decision, less than two weeks ago, to annul the results of the first round of the November 24 presidential elections. Romanian investigators revealed that far-right and pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu, who allegedly conducted his campaign without funding, received undeclared political endorsements worth over €1 million ($1.05 million), funneled through TikTok.
“We must protect our democracies from any kind of foreign interference,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “Based on serious indications that foreign actors interfered in the Romanian presidential elections using TikTok, we are now thoroughly investigating whether TikTok has breached the Digital Services Act by failing to address such risks.”
On December 5, just a day after the court's ruling, the European Commission issued a retention order to TikTok, requiring the platform to "freeze and preserve data related to actual or foreseeable systemic risks" to electoral processes and civic discourse within the EU.
As part of the investigation, the Commission may seek access to TikTok’s algorithms to assess how the platform disseminates information related to electoral discourse.
In its defense, TikTok emphasized its commitment to maintaining platform integrity. “We proactively investigate potential influence operations and collaborate with relevant authorities to share expertise and clarify our policies,” the company stated. TikTok also highlighted its policy prohibiting political content in both paid advertising and branded content, such as endorsements exchanged for payment.
TikTok admitted to detecting domestic networks targeting Romania’s elections but maintained its commitment to combating covert influence operations and deceptive behaviors. “We strictly prohibit attempts to undermine the platform's integrity, mislead users, or manipulate our systems,” the company said.
The EU investigation will examine whether TikTok adequately mitigated the risk of its platform being exploited by external actors to influence Romania's elections.
“We have a responsibility to protect our democratic processes from manipulation and interference,” said Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy. “I am confident this investigation will contribute to a safer, more trustworthy online environment for all EU citizens, and I look forward to working closely with TikTok to address any concerns.”
