TikTok Faces Increased Scrutiny Over Election Disinformation in Europe
As voters in Ireland prepare to head to the polls for a new government election, TikTok is under intense scrutiny for allegedly spreading election-related disinformation. This comes on the heels of the platform facing accusations from EU lawmakers who claim that TikTok significantly influenced the unexpected victory of Călin Georgescu, an ultranationalist, during Romania’s recent presidential elections. International NGOs like Global Witness have conducted investigations to assess TikTok’s capacity to identify and eliminate misleading electoral content, and their findings highlight considerable shortcomings in the platform’s content moderation system.
In a targeted investigation, Global Witness created fourteen TikTok videos that propagated misinformation related to Ireland’s electoral process and attempted to secure approval for these as paid advertisements in both English and Irish. The NGO employed innovative techniques to bypass TikTok’s algorithmic moderation, using characters and symbols to obfuscate the intended disinformation. Alarmingly, they discovered that three of the videos were approved in English, while eight received the same in Irish, despite the content containing misleading claims such as needing proof of COVID-19 vaccinations to vote and erroneous information regarding postal voting eligibility. Though Global Witness ultimately removed the ads before they could go live, the approval by TikTok indicated serious flaws in the moderation process.
In response to these allegations, TikTok reiterated its commitment to barring political advertising on its platform and stated that the majority of the submitted ads were correctly flagged at the first moderation stage. A spokesperson emphasized that the controversial ads were never actually published on TikTok. The company has made it clear that it is actively working to combat misinformation, having introduced dedicated election information centers within the app to offer users authoritative resources regarding electoral processes. However, criticisms persist regarding TikTok’s effectiveness in moderating content in Irish, as no Irish-speaking content moderators are currently employed by the platform.
The political landscape in Ireland is defined by the upcoming snap election, marking the end of a historic coalition among the three major parties: Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and the Green Party. Simon Harris, the current Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael, referred to as the ‘TikTok Taoiseach,’ has capitalized on the platform to connect with younger voters, garnering a substantial following. His key opponents—Micheál Martin of Fianna Fáil and Mary Lou McDonald of Sinn Féin—are also leveraging TikTok to engage the electorate, showcasing the platform’s rising significance in political communication.
Meanwhile, the European Commission continues to scrutinize TikTok and its role in recent electoral events, notably following an official request from the Romanian National Audiovisual Council for a thorough investigation into the platform’s involvement in the Romanian presidential elections. The inquiry comes amid broader concerns that TikTok, despite its ban on political advertising, has become an indispensable tool for candidates wishing to engage younger audiences.
The pressure remains on TikTok as it navigates complex regulatory environments and heightened scrutiny from EU institutions. With the Digital Services Act (DSA) mandating increased transparency for digital platforms, TikTok is currently facing various probes regarding child protection and potential electoral manipulation. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has not dismissed the concept of an EU-wide ban on TikTok, emphasizing the platform’s associated dangers during a recent electoral debate. As the ramifications of TikTok’s content moderation failures unfold, the coming days will be critical in determining the platform’s role in European electoral processes and the steps it must take to restore trust and compliance within the EU.