Европейская комиссия начала расследование в отношении TikTok из-за вмешательства в выборы в Румынии

Европейская комиссия (ЕК) officially announced the initiation of an investigation against TikTok, suspecting the platform of violating European laws related to preventing foreign interference in elections. The inquiry follows serious allegations concerning the platform's role during the first round of presidential elections in Romania held in November, which authorities claim favored a particular candidate.

In a statement, EК President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized: "After substantial indications that foreign entities interfered in the Romanian presidential elections via TikTok, we are now thoroughly investigating whether TikTok breached the Digital Services Act by failing to mitigate such risks." The investigation will scrutinize TikTok's recommendation systems in relation to "coordinated manipulation risks" and its policies regarding political advertising.

If substantiated, TikTok could face fines of up to 6% of the company's revenue, as dictated by the Digital Services Act. Following the first round of elections, Calin Georgescu, viewed as a dark horse candidate with 22.9% of the votes, has raised concerns among Romanian authorities as he is seen as a pro-Russian politician.

Regulatory bodies worry that TikTok was used to further his campaign through mechanisms that included the alleged use of 25,000 bot accounts and lack of labels on political content. TikTok has, however, denied any allegations of manipulation or foreign interference related to the elections.

As the investigation proceeds, EК's decision reflects ongoing efforts to safeguard European democracies against foreign influence in electoral processes, ensuring digital platforms are held accountable for the content disseminated through their services.

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