The European Commission has opened formal proceedings against the social media platform TikTok over its suspected failure to properly assess and limit risks to election integrity, following on from the Romanian presidential vote last month.
Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, will be working with the European Commission in relation to its investigations.
In a statement on Tuesday, the European Commission said the proceedings are in relation to a suspected breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA). It said that Coimisiún na Meán will be contributing its “expertise and analysis to the case”.
“Ireland is TikTok’s country of establishment in the EU,” it said. TikTok currently employs about 3,000 people in Ireland and has offices in Dublin.
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The proceedings will focus on TikTok’s policies on political advertisements and paid-for political content. It will also look at TikTok’s recommender systems, notably the risks linked to the co-ordinated inauthentic manipulation or automated exploitation of the service.
The Commission said one of the “suspicions” it is going to investigate is whether TikTok has “diligently mitigated the risks posed by specific regional and linguistic aspects of national elections”.
“The Commission will now carry out an in-depth investigation as a matter of priority,” it added. “The opening of formal proceedings does not prejudge its outcome. This decision to open an investigation takes into account information received from declassified intelligence reports by the Romanian authorities, as well as third-party reports.”
The investigation also follows the analysis of risk assessment reports submitted by TikTok in 2023 and 2024, the replies to the Commission’s requests for information, and internal documents provided by TikTok.
A spokesperson for Coimisiún na Meán said that Under the Digital Services Act, the largest platforms, VLOPs (very large online platforms) with over 45 million monthly users, must assess and mitigate risks arising from how their services are used.
“This investigation focuses on TikTok’s obligation to properly assess and mitigate systemic risks linked to election integrity, notably in the context of the Romanian presidential elections,” the spokesperson said. “The European Commission has requested the involvement of Coimisiún na Meán, as the Digital Services Coordinator of establishment through the cooperation mechanisms of the DSA. Coimisiún na Meán’s role is to contribute expertise and analysis of information gathered in the course of the investigation.”
The European Commission previously opened investigations into TikTok and Meta and other VLOPs or Very Large Online Search Engines, which Coimisiún na Meán has supported. Queries related to other open investigations launched by the European Commission should be directed to the European Commission.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “We must protect our democracies from any kind of foreign interference.
“Whenever we suspect such interference, especially during elections, we have to act swiftly and firmly.
“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.”
Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said: “As the European Union, we have a responsibility to safeguard our democratic processes from potential manipulation and interference.
“I am confident that our investigation into TikTok’s practices will contribute to a safer and more trustworthy online environment for all EU citizens, and I look forward to working closely with TikTok to address any concerns that may arise.”
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