The European Commission has directed TikTok to preserve data related to its internal operations and how it manages risks of manipulation, amid increased scrutiny over the platform’s potential influence in the Romanian presidential election.
The order, which extends to all national elections, will last until March and includes information related to the upcoming German election. TikTok must also maintain records of any breaches of its policy banning political advertising.
This move follows the declassification of Romanian intelligence documents, released on Wednesday, that claimed paid influencers had promoted Călin Georgescu’s account ahead of the election’s first round. Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s new tech chief, noted that the measure aims to support investigators in establishing the facts. The Commission has also sent TikTok additional questions regarding compliance with EU content-moderation rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The Commission emphasized that no conclusion has been reached yet on whether TikTok violated EU regulations. TikTok, which falls under the Commission’s oversight for DSA compliance, responded, stating that it is cooperating with the inquiry and looks forward to clarifying “speculation and inaccurate reports.”
Brussels has increased its focus on TikTok after Romanian regulators raised concerns, while also reinforcing its commitment to preventing interference in elections and not addressing the specifics of the Romanian electoral process. Additionally, the EU is set to meet with DSA enforcement authorities from member states on Friday to bolster coordination.
