BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission opened formal proceedings on Tuesday (17) against TikTok on suspicion of failing to assess and limit risks related to elections, especially the Romanian presidential vote last month.
The Commission said it will examine political ads and paid content published by , as well as the platform’s recommendation systems and risks of manipulation.
Earlier this month, the Commission ordered TikTok to freeze data related to the Romanian elections in line with the bloc’s Digital Services Law, which regulates how the world’s biggest social media companies operate in Europe.
Opening a formal process authorizes the Commission to take further action and accept commitments made by TikTok.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union needs to protect its democracies from foreign interference.
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“Following serious indications that foreign actors interfered in the Romanian presidential elections using TikTok, we are now thoroughly investigating whether TikTok violated the Digital Services Law by failing to address these risks,” she said in a statement.
This is the third investigation that the Commission has launched against TikTok.
(By Philip Blenkinsop)
