European Union regulators on Thursday leveled accusations against TikTok, alleging breaches of digital content regulations due to insufficient transparency regarding advertisements displayed to users of the video-sharing application.

Preliminary findings from the European Commission's investigation suggest that TikTok's ad repository falls short of the Digital Services Act (DSA) requirements, the landmark legislation governing online platforms across the 27-nation bloc.

The Commission asserted that advertising databases are critical for researchers to identify fraudulent advertisements, hybrid threat campaigns, coordinated information operations, and deceptive ads, "particularly within the electoral sphere."

La DSA, un marco regulatorio de gran calado, persigue la depuración de las plataformas de redes sociales y la salvaguarda de los usuarios frente a diversos peligros, entre ellos la desinformación electoral. Se exige a las plataformas una transparencia rigurosa en lo que respecta a la publicidad digital, debiendo informar exhaustivamente a los usuarios sobre los criterios de segmentación publicitaria y la identidad de los financiadores.

The Commission asserted that TikTok fails to furnish requisite details pertaining to advertisement content, target demographics, and funding sources; furthermore, the database's inability to facilitate comprehensive, information-driven advertisement searches "curtails the tool's efficacy," they stated.

TikTok stated that it is currently scrutinising the Commission's findings and remains steadfastly committed to adhering to its obligations under the DSA.

"While we endorse the regulatory objectives and remain committed to enhancing the transparency of our advertising practices, we disagree with certain interpretations put forth by the Commission; moreover, we observe that guidance is being disseminated through preliminary findings rather than explicit, publicly accessible directives," the company stated in a press release.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, asserted that shortcomings in the advertising database infrastructure preclude a thorough risk assessment regarding its advertising targeting mechanisms.

"Virkkunen afirmó que la transparencia en la publicidad digital —en lo tocante a la financiación y la segmentación de audiencias— resulta fundamental para la protección del interés general, añadiendo que, ya sea para preservar la integridad de los procesos democráticos, para blindar la salud pública o para salvaguardar a los consumidores de publicidades engañosas, la ciudadanía tiene el derecho inalienable a conocer la autoría de los mensajes a los que se expone."

TikTok faces a critical juncture as it has the opportunity to present its case before the Commission delivers its definitive ruling, a decision that could potentially trigger a penalty of up to 6% of the company's global annual turnover.

TikTok se enfrenta a un escrutinio intensificado por parte de la UE en una investigación independiente, centrada en su presunta incapacidad para mitigar los riesgos que plantea a la integridad de las elecciones presidenciales rumanas, las cuales se vieron perturbadas el año pasado por denuncias de irregularidades electorales e injerencia rusa.