The European Commission has intensified its scrutiny of TikTok due to the platform’s involvement in Romania’s presidential elections. TikTok may have violated laws as users conducted paid campaigns, which is prohibited.
The Commission has directed TikTok to retain internal documents and information on risk management and political advertisements. Romanian security services revealed that far-right candidate Calin Georgescu ran a coordinated TikTok campaign using paid influencers.
His campaign gained significant traction two weeks before the elections, with tips shared on Telegram to bypass TikTok’s verification rules. Georgescu denies these allegations.
Despite his contentious stance, critical of the EU and NATO and praising Russian President Putin, Georgescu unexpectedly won the first election round. Security documents also suggest Russian interference.
The second election round is scheduled for Sunday, where Georgescu will face center-right candidate Elena Lasconi. TikTok has been ordered to retain data from all national elections over the next four months, including the German elections in February.
This action aligns with the Digital Services Act, which mandates online platforms to protect citizens from harmful content.
Source: NOS