EU probe into TikTok's handling of Romanian election risks hefty fine
The European Commission continues its investigation into TikTok's compliance with EU election-risk rules after the Romanian presidential vote, which could lead to a fine of up to 6% of the platform’s global turnover.
Following concerns raised by Romanian officials about potential manipulation of the presidential election, the European Commission launched a Digital Services Act investigation into TikTok. The probe examines whether the platform fulfilled its duty to assess and mitigate systemic risks, including algorithmic amplification, coordinated manipulation, and the use of automated accounts. Authorities are also reviewing TikTok’s policies on political ads and paid political content, as well as its attention to regional and linguistic specifics of the Romanian vote.
Findings from this case may be supplemented by data from other EU elections. Should the Commission determine that TikTok violated DSA obligations, it could be fined up to 6% of its annual global turnover, with other corrective measures also possible.
Why it matters
The outcome could set a precedent for how major social platforms are held accountable for election integrity across the EU.
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