TikTok faces a fine of up to 6% of its global turnover, following the investigation opened by the European Commission after the presidential elections in Romania, in November 2024. The probe focuses on how the platform handled disinformation campaigns and possible attempts to influence the vote.
The investigation was launched after Romanian authorities sent classified documents to the European Commission signaling massive disinformation campaigns on TikTok, amplified even through automated accounts (bots).
The information was presented on Thursday in Brussels by Thomas Regnier, spokesperson for the European Commission, during a meeting with Romanian journalists.
The documents sent by Romania formed the basis of the investigation
The European official explained that the documents reached Brussels shortly after the first round of the presidential elections on November 24, 2024, won by Călin Georgescu.
"We all know the result of the first round in Romania. It was precisely at that moment that we received, from the Romanian authorities, the classified documents transmitted to the Commission, informing us that massive disinformation campaigns had taken place on TikTok, amplified by bots," stated Regnier.
The Commission did not immediately open an investigation but first analyzed the received information and requested explanations from the platform.
In December 2024, Brussels initiated the official procedure against TikTok under the Digital Services Act (DSA). This obliges major online platforms to identify and limit the risks their services may pose to electoral processes.
If a violation of the regulation is found, TikTok could be fined up to 6% of its annual global turnover. So far, no sanctions have been announced.
The investigation is not limited to the Romanian elections
Thomas Regnier specified that although the investigation started with the Romanian elections, the European Commission is now analyzing TikTok's behavior during other European elections.
"Any other elections taking place in Europe contribute to this investigation. Thus, other elections can help us obtain additional evidence on how a platform like TikTok behaves when elections are held in Europe," the official explained.
According to him, the Commission is currently requesting a considerable amount of evidence from the platform to determine if it has complied with its legal obligations.
Regnier emphasized that the purpose of the investigation is not to influence the election results but to protect the vote from external interventions.
"Our only desire is to ensure that, regardless of who wins the elections, the result reflects the choice of the citizens - and only the citizens - and that no tech executive intervened in the electoral process due to their own preferences," he stated.
What TikTok acknowledged about the campaigns in Romania
In a report published in April 2025, TikTok presented the measures taken against influence operations and disinformation related to the presidential elections in Romania. The platform announced that in 2024, it had removed six networks involved in covert influence operations specifically targeting the Romanian audience.
Additionally, between the end of October and December 17, 2024, TikTok removed over 5,500 materials related to the elections in Romania for violating rules on disinformation, harassment, and incitement to hatred.
The presidential elections in Romania were annulled by the Constitutional Court in December 2024, after the first round won by Călin Georgescu.