TikTok is suspected of breaching the Digital Services Act (DSA) in relation to its obligation to properly assess and mitigate systemic risks linked to election integrity.

Coimisiún na Meán will play a significant role in the proceedings as the digital services co-ordinator for Ireland, where TikTok has its European headquarters.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: “We must protect our democracies from any kind of foreign interference. Whenever we suspect such interference, especially during elections, we have to act swiftly and firmly.

“Following serious indications that foreign actors interfered in the Romanian presidential elections by using TikTok, we are now thoroughly investigating whether TikTok has violated the Digital Services Act by failing to tackle such risks.

“It should be crystal clear that in the EU, all online platforms, including TikTok, must be held accountable.”

The proceedings will focus on management of risks to elections or civic discourse, linked to TikTok’s recommender systems — particularly the risk of “coordinated inauthentic manipulation or automated exploitation” — and TikTok’s policies on political advertisements and paid-for political content.

In respect of both, the Commission will investigate whether TikTok has diligently mitigated the risks posed by specific regional and linguistic aspects of national elections.

The Commission suspects there are shortcomings which would constitute infringements by TikTok of Articles 34(1), 34(2) and 35(1) DSA.

It said the decision to open an investigation follows “information received from declassified intelligence reports by the Romanian authorities, as well as third-party reports”.

The investigation also follows the analysis of the risk assessment reports submitted by TikTok in 2023 and 2024, the replies to the Commission’s requests for information, and internal documents provided by TikTok.

Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said: “As the European Union, we have a responsibility to safeguard our democratic processes from potential manipulation and interference.

“I am confident that our investigation into TikTok’s practices will contribute to a safer and more trustworthy online environment for all EU citizens, and I look forward to working closely with TikTok to address any concerns that may arise.”