European Commission investigates TikTok for suspected election interference in Romania

Allegations include ‘recommender systems’ being open to manipulation and influencers not making clear they were paid to promote candidate

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The European Commission is looking at TikTok’s policies on political advertising and paid-for content as part of its investigation related to the Romanian election. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:01pm, 17 Dec 2024Updated: 7:10pm, 17 Dec 2024

The European Commission has opened a formal investigation under its powerful digital laws into TikTok’s alleged role in violating the integrity of the recent Romanian election.

Efforts to elect a new president in the EU and Nato member were derailed amid allegations of “aggressive hybrid action” by Russia to hijack the first round of voting in November.

This month, the country’s constitutional court dramatically annulled the first round just before a second-round run-off was scheduled to take place. The first round was surprisingly won by the far-right candidate Calin Georgescu, who was also leading in the polls for the run-off.

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Alleged manipulation of TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media platform considered to be increasingly influential in Europe, has been at the centre of authorities’ complaints.

Georgescu’s surge was widely attributed to a viral campaign on the platform which helped bring him up from relative obscurity. The government in Romania immediately flagged that it had not been conducted within electoral rules.

The commission now alleges the platform’s “recommender systems” were open to “coordinated inauthentic manipulation or automated exploitation”.

It is also investigating TikTok’s policies on political advertising and paid-for content amid reports that influencers were paid to promote Georgescu without clearly marking the content as sponsored or politically-motivated.

“Following serious indications that foreign actors interfered in the Romanian presidential elections by using TikTok, we are now thoroughly investigating whether TikTok has violated the Digital Services Act by failing to tackle such risks. It should be crystal clear that in the EU all online platforms, including TikTok, must be held accountable,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.