European commission demands urgent response from TikTok on election interference
The European Commission, concerned about the impact on elections in Romania, has appealed to TikTok management and demanded immediate explanations. The platform has 24 hours to present its position on the information appearing on it that affects the elections in that country.
The European Commission has asked for a swift explanation from TikTok following information disclosed by Romania about outside interference in their electoral process. The platform was given 24 hours to respond. According to the AP News, pressure increased on the app just before the second round of presidential elections in Romania, planned for this Sunday.
We have a tool at our disposal where we make sure that the very large online platforms have their role to play and make sure that their services are not misused to influence voters and to influence people, stated European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier.
When questioned about whether the time remaining before the elections is too short for effective intervention, Regnier explained that the Commission's request concerns information disclosed by Romanian authorities on Wednesday. "I can confirm that we have received and we are currently working on these documents now," he added.
The European Commission concerned about TikTok's influence
The European Commission's Vice President for Digital Affairs, Henna Virkkunen, expressed her concerns on social media: "We are concerned about mounting indications of coordinated foreign online influence operation targeting ongoing Romanian elections, especially on TikTok."
On the same day, the European Commission ordered TikTok to freeze and preserve data related to the presidential elections in Romania and other votes to be held in the European Union until the end of March 2025.
