European Union orders TikTok to preserve data related to Romanian election

LONDON (AP) — European Union regulators ordered TikTok on Thursday to retain any information related to Romania's presidential election, after the country’s top defense body released declassified intelligence alleging that Moscow arranged an online campaign to support a candidate who emerged as a surprise front-runner.

As controversy swirls around the election, the 27-nation bloc's executive arm is using its sweeping digital rulebook to step up scrutiny of the role played by the video sharing platform.

Far-right populist Calin Georgescu emerged from obscurity to top the polls in the first round of the Romanian presidential vote on Nov. 24, plunging the European Union and NATO country into turmoil.

In an unprecedented move, President Klaus Iohannis ordered the release on Wednesday of the intelligence files that allege a sprawling network of thousands of social media accounts across platforms like TikTok and Telegram promoted Georgescu content.

The European Commission said it issued TikTok with a “retention order” demanding that it “freeze and preserve data” related to so-called systemic risks that the video-sharing platform's service could pose to “electoral processes and civic discourse” in the EU. The order also applies to any national election in the EU until March 31.

TikTok has “already been cooperating with the Commission and will continue to do so," the company said in a statement. "We look forward to establishing the facts in light of some of the speculation and inaccurate reports we have seen.”

The commission said TikTok must hang on to internal documents and information about the design and function of its systems that recommend content to users. It also has to preserve files on how it addresses the risk that fake accounts are used in a coordinated way to manipulate users.

Officials told a daily briefing in Brussels that the commission had received the Romanian intelligence files.

“I can confirm that we have received and we are currently working on these documents now,” commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said.

Henna Virkkunen, the commission's executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said in a statement that, “This preservation order is a key step in helping investigators establish the facts and adds to our formal requests for information, which seek information following the declassification of secret documents yesterday.”

The commission is using the Digital Services Act to scrutinize TikTok, which many observers say played a big role in Georgescu's success in the first-round vote. The DSA is a wide-ranging set of regulations that took effect last year aimed at cleaning up big online platforms and protecting internet users, under threat of hefty fines.

“We have a tool at our disposal where we make sure that the very large online platforms have their role to play and make sure that their services are not misused to influence voters and to influence people,” Regnier said.

Officials in Brussels said they’re not calling Romania’s electoral processes into question but are monitoring TikTok’s compliance with EU rules, though they have “no position” on whether the company has infringed them.

On Sunday, Georgescu will face pro-EU reformist Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party in a final vote.

In releasing the declassified files, intelligence authorities said information they obtained “revealed an aggressive promotion campaign” to increase and accelerate Georgescu's popularity. According to the files, the Romanian secret services alleged one TikTok user paid $381,000 to other users to promote Georgescu content.

The Commission has already asked TikTok twice for information on its recommendation systems related to elections, including a second request on Friday for additional information on how it manages risks from “information manipulation.”

Earlier this week, during questioning from a committee of European Parliament lawmakers, TikTok executives said they uncovered several Romanian influence networks including one that supported Georgescu but defended the platform's election integrity practices.

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Associated Press writer Stephen McGrath in Bucharest contributed to this report.