The European Commission has initiated formal proceedings against social media giant TikTok over concerns of its failure to prevent election interference, particularly in the recent Romanian presidential vote. The Commission is focusing on TikTok's policies regarding political advertisements, paid political content, recommendation systems, and the potential risks of manipulation.
Following the Romanian election, the Commission directed TikTok to freeze data related to the election under the Digital Services Act. This move came after allegations of Russian meddling and the controversial victory of a pro-Russia ultranationalist candidate in the election.
