Irish regulator to probe TikTok over election integrity

Media regulator Coimisiún na Meán is to take part in a European Commission election integrity investigation into video-sharing platform TikTok.

The Commission has opened formal proceedings against TikTok for a suspected breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in relation to the platform's obligation to properly assess and mitigate systemic risks linked to election integrity.

The investigation is being opened in the context of the recent Romanian presidential elections on 24 November.

Coimisiún na Meán has been associated with the investigation because TikTok has its EU headquarters in Dublin.

The EU Commission said An Coimisiún na Meán will contribute to the case with its expertise and analysis.

It is understood that Coimisiún na Meán is also looking into the issue of election integrity in Ireland following an investigation by campaign group Global Witness which found that TikTok approved ads containing disinformation about last month's General Election.

Amid allegations of Russian interference, Romania's constitutional court has annulled the first round of the country's presidential election, which was won by Pro-Russia candidate Calin Georgescu.

Documents declassified by Romanian security officials showed Mr Georgescu was massively promoted on TikTok through coordinated accounts, recommendation algorithms and paid promotion.

Russia has denied any interference in the election and TikTok has denied that it favoured the far-right, pro-Russia candidate.

Announcing today's investigation, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that following serious indications that foreign actors interfered in the Romanian presidential elections by using TikTok, it is now thoroughly investigating whether the platform has violated the DSA by failing to tackle such risks.

"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," Ms von der Leyen said.

The proceedings will focus on TikTok's recommender systems, the algorithms that determine what people see in their feeds.

It will also look at the platform's policies on political advertisements and paid-for political content.

"As regards both elements, one of the suspicions the Commission is going to investigate is whether TikTok has diligently mitigated the risks posed by specific regional and linguistic aspects of national elections," the Commission said in a statement.

On December 5, the Commission issued a retention order to TikTok, ordering the platform to freeze and preserve data related to systemic risks its service could pose to electoral processes and civic discourse in the EU.

Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, European Commission Vice-President for Technology Henna Virkkunen said the TikTok decision was made due to evidence of "co-ordinated manipulation" of the Romanian election.

Ms Virkunnen said this involved unknown sources of spending on political advertising, and that the Commission is concerned of "cyber security around electoral campaigns" as well as a belief the Digital Services Act may have been breached.

Her view led to support and criticism in equal measure from MEPs.

Those who supported her comments included Romanian MEP and European People's Party group member Siegfried Muresan, who said "the reality is clear and we have to realise it, Russia is attacking democracies".

Portuguese MEP and Socialists and Democrats group member Ana Catarina Mendes said unless more laws are put in place social media "could undermine" democracy as it it is feeding people "simple answers to complicated problems".

German MEP and Left group member Marin Schirdewan said "the Romanian elections were manipulated by TikTok" in the same way as "we saw with Brexit and the first Trump election".

He added that "people like Elon Musk are using this [personal data] and far right dictators are using useful idiots like Musk", before saying "I don't want our elections in Germany next year decided by Russia".

While Netherlands MEP and Green-European Free Alliance member Kim Van Sparrentak said that the situation between agitators who are accused of manipulating democracy and social media firms has become "the perfect handshake".

Their views were contradicted by other MEPs, who insisted there is no problem with social media and accused counterparts of a liberal agenda trying to censor people's opinions.

Spanish MEP and Patriots group member Jorge Buxade said "you don't like [social media firm] X because you cannot control it" and said left-leaning MEPs are only angry because "more young people are voting for the new right".

Romanian MEP and European Conservatives and Reformists group member Claudiu-Richard Tarziu said "freedom of speech is not negotiable" and that "the only freedom of expression now is the internet" which he accused officials of trying to "set limits" on.

Greek MEP and Patriots group member, Afroditi Latinopoulou, said "the elephant in the room" is the attempt to try to "silence people", saying there is "obsessive left-wing nonsense" that young people are only "voting to the right because they have received fake news".

"That's all very nice, but it is not true," she said.

Slovakian MEP and European of Sovereign Nations group member, Milan Uhrik, criticised other MEPs concerned about social media manipulation, saying: "You are far from reality, you don't listen to normal citizens. With or without TikTok people will finally make their own decisions and the truth will win out."

TikTok said it has protected the integrity of its platform through over 150 elections around the world and continues to proactively address what it described as industry-wide challenges.

"TikTok has provided the European Commission with extensive information regarding these efforts, and we have transparently and publicly detailed our robust actions," a spokesperson said.

"We do not accept paid political advertisements, we proactively remove content for violating our policies on misinformation, harassment and hate speech, and continue to work with the European Commission as well as regional and national authorities to address requests and discuss concerns," TikTok said.

Additional reporting Fiachra Ó Cionnaith