Romanian watchdog urges EU probe into TikTok’s role in political campaign

The National Audiovisual Council (CNA) formally requested the European Commission on Tuesday to open an official investigation into the Chinese social media platform TikTok. This comes after the platform allegedly allowed Călin Georgescu’s political campaign to operate, despite TikTok’s stated standards. The announcement was made by Valentin Jucan, vice-president of CNA.

What CNA Officially Asked the European Commission:

1. Initiate a formal investigation into TikTok’s compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA), particularly regarding algorithm transparency and systemic risks.
2. Require TikTok to publish a detailed assessment of democratic risks tied to its activities in Romania.
3. Impose corrective measures and sanctions for identified violations.
4. Ensure the publication of an algorithm transparency report, especially regarding electoral content disseminated during Romania’s 2024 presidential election campaigns.

Statement from Valentin Jucan:

According to a report by Expert Forum (EFOR) (Policy Brief no. 190), independent candidate Călin Georgescu saw a significant rise in electoral preferences, from 2% to 22%. This surge was largely attributed to a TikTok campaign, characterized by:

• Coordination of accounts actively promoting electoral content without proper labeling.
• Artificial amplification of messages through algorithms using dedicated hashtags like #echilibrușiverticalitate (balance and uprightness), garnering millions of views.

These actions raised suspicions of public opinion manipulation, misuse of the TikTok platform, and lack of transparency in handling political content.

Who Is Addressed?

The European Commission, specifically the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT).

Legal Basis:

The EU Regulation 2022/2065 on Digital Services (DSA).

CNA’s Observations:

TikTok failed to meet obligations under Article 34 of the DSA concerning systemic risk assessments.

Key Systemic Risks Highlighted:

• Impact on Democratic Processes: TikTok algorithms amplified electoral content favoring one candidate, creating an imbalance in electoral competition and jeopardizing political pluralism.
• Transparency Deficiencies: The platform failed to evaluate or mitigate this risk, contrary to DSA requirements.
• Spread of Unlabeled and Manipulative Content: Lack of clear labeling of electoral content exposed users to unclear or biased messaging.
• Opaque Algorithmic Operations: TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes emotional content, distorting public discourse.

Expert Forum Report:

The report identified that much of TikTok’s distributed material lacked electoral labels, exposing users to untraceable content origins and intentions.

Political Advertising Transparency (Article 26, DSA):

Despite TikTok’s claims of banning paid political ads, analysis reveals:

• Indirect promotion of political messages via influencers without proper disclosure.
• Lack of transparency regarding sponsors or sources of electoral content, violating DSA standards.

Algorithm Transparency (Article 24, DSA):

Platforms like TikTok are required to provide detailed insights into algorithmic operations, particularly for content recommendation and amplification systems.

• TikTok’s opaque algorithm amplifies audiovisual content without offering clarity about prioritization factors.
• This lack of transparency distorts public debates and influences electoral processes by favoring specific political actors.

The opacity prevents regulators from ensuring compliance with EU laws, undermining users’ trust in democratic processes.

TikTok’s Role in Romania’s 2024 Presidential Election (First Round):

TikTok’s practices significantly impacted the election by:

1. Creating an unfair advantage for one candidate.
2. Manipulating public opinion through unlabeled content.
3. Exploiting the platform’s predominantly young audience (8.9 million users in Romania).