Source: European Parliament
In the context of the Romanian presidential elections held on 24 November 2024, the Commission sent to TikTok requests for information on 29 November[1] and 6 December 2024 regarding its measures to address risks from inauthentic activity, automated exploitation, and its recommender systems.
Additionally, on 5 December 2024, the Commission adopted a decision imposing on TikTok an obligation to retain all information relevant to its management of the risks of any actual or foreseeable negative effects to electoral processes and civic discourse in the context of national elections held between 24 November 2024 and 31 March 2025[2]. On 17 December 2024, the Commission decided to open a third set of formal proceedings against TikTok[3].
These proceedings focus on TikTok’s compliance with its obligation to diligently assess and mitigate systemic risks related to civic discourse and electoral processes stemming from: (1) the intentional manipulation of TikTok’s services and its related systems, including its recommender systems, and (2) the amplification and potentially rapid and wide dissemination of political advertisements and paid-for political content that is incompatible with TikTok’s terms and conditions. This investigation is ongoing: the Commission is currently gathering and analysing evidence.
Furthermore, the Commission published in March 2024 guidelines on recommended measures under the DSA to mitigate systemic risks online for election[4], and released, in February 2025, the DSA elections toolkit for Digital Services Coordinators[5].
In addition, certain very large online platforms (VLOPs), together with the Commission, took part in an election stress test in March 2025, organised by the Romanian authorities[6].
- [1] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-sends-additional-request-information-tiktok-under-digital-services-act
- [2] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_6243
- [3] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_6487
- [4] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_1707
- [5] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/dsa-elections-toolkit-digital-services-coordinators
- [6] See also the European Board for Digital Services’ post-election report on the EU elections: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/european-board-digital-services-publishes-post-election-report-eu-elections