TIKTOK in sight: EU fights against hate and choice manipulation!

TIKTOK in sight: EU fights against hate and choice manipulation!

Oberösterreich, Österreich - In a worrying step, the EU Commission initiated formal procedures against the TikTok social media platform. The accusation: Possible violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in connection with the integrity of the elections. Tikok could not have sufficiently dealt with systemic risks for the election during the Romanian presidential election on November 24th. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Commission, emphasized the need to protect democratic processes from foreign influence and described the situation as critical. "As soon as we have indications of such interventions, quick and decisive action are required," said von der Leyen.

While the EU tries to hold Tikok, Christian Dörfel, Upper Austria's State Council of Integration, said alarming concerns about the role of social media in radicalization. In a conversation with the ORF Oberösterreich he found that radicalization increasingly takes place in its own four walls and less in mosques or religious contexts. Platforms such as Tikkok, which young users reach, are under observation. Dörfel called for more surveillance options to counteract hate preachers that act through messenger services and social networks.

hate, manipulation and lack of cooperation

The Commission also examines whether Tiktok has met the requirements for minimizing risks in connection with political advertising and in -authentic manipulations. These worries become particularly loud, since Tikkok is faced with the allegations, while the Romanian elections do not have sufficiently against foreign interventions. In particular, the focus is on how the recommendation algorithm works. NEOS European MP Anna Stürgkh reported a lack of cooperation on the part of Tiktok after representatives were invited to answer urgent questions to the European Parliament, but did not respond respectfully or informative.

The EU is forced to act against Tikkok to ensure that all platforms take their obligation to comply with the statutory provisions seriously. In the event of further violations, there are high penalties, which underlines the importance of these procedures. According to Dörfel, the monitoring and regulation of social media should receive a higher priority in the political agenda to protect young people from extremist content.