The European Commission is investigating TikTok following Romania’s elections. The platform faces a fine of up to 6% of its global turnover.

The European Commission has opened an investigation against TikTok following the first round of Romania’s presidential election, held on 24 November 2024, in which Călin Georgescu received the most votes. The investigation concerns how the platform managed the risks of electoral manipulation, including alleged coordinated disinformation campaigns and the artificial amplification of political content through automated accounts.

The procedure is being conducted under the Digital Services Act, the European regulation that requires large online platforms to identify and reduce systemic risks to society and electoral processes. If violations are found, TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, may receive a fine of up to 6% of its worldwide annual turnover.

According to the Commission, the Romanian authorities sent classified documents concerning alleged operations to influence voters on TikTok. Brussels is examining whether the recommendation algorithms and measures implemented by the platform allowed such campaigns to be amplified and whether the risks were managed appropriately.

The investigation was preceded by an analysis of the information received from Bucharest and a request for additional data from TikTok. The company announced that it had removed more than 5,500 pieces of content and six influence networks targeting users in Romania. The investigation aims to protect the integrity of the elections, without seeking to favor any candidate or political formation.