European Union regulators accused TikTok on Thursday of breaking digital content rules. They said the app wasn't clear enough about the advertisements users see on the video-sharing platform.

Preliminary findings from an EU Commission investigation suggest TikTok's advertising data repository may not comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA), impacting all 27 member states.

The committee stated that advertising databases are essential for researchers to identify misleading advertisements and hybrid threat campaigns, coordinated disinformation efforts, and fake ads, particularly during elections.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) is a comprehensive set of rules designed to regulate social media platforms, protecting users from various risks, notably election-related disinformation. Platforms are obligated to ensure transparency in digital advertising, which includes informing users about the reasons behind specific ad targeting and identifying the ad's sponsor.

The committee stated that TikTok failed to provide crucial details regarding ad content, target audiences, and ad sponsors. This lack of comprehensive search functionality based on this information significantly limits the tool's effectiveness, according to the committee.

TikTok has stated that they are reviewing the Committee's findings and are committed to fully complying with their obligations under the DSA.

"While we support the aims of the regulation and are constantly improving our advertising transparency tools, we disagree with some of the Commission's interpretations. We also note that the guidance is currently being issued through preliminary findings rather than clear, public guidelines," the company stated.

Henna Virkkunen, Vice-President of the Committee on Technology Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, stated that limitations in advertising data repositories hinder a comprehensive assessment of the risks posed by advertising targeting systems.

"Virkkunen nhấn mạnh rằng sự minh bạch trong quảng cáo trực tuyến, bao gồm thông tin về người trả tiền và phương pháp nhắm mục tiêu, là rất quan trọng để bảo vệ lợi ích chung. Bà nói thêm rằng, dù mục đích là bảo vệ tính minh bạch của các cuộc bầu cử, sức khỏe cộng đồng, hay người tiêu dùng khỏi quảng cáo sai sự thật, người dân có quyền được biết ai là người đứng sau những thông điệp mà họ tiếp nhận."

TikTok now has a chance to respond before the Committee makes a final decision, which could result in a fine of up to 6% of the company's yearly global turnover.

TikTok is under scrutiny in a separate EU investigation regarding concerns about the company's handling of risks related to the Romanian presidential election, which faced disruptions last year due to alleged electoral breaches and Russian interference.