TMTPOST -- The European Commission initiated formal proceedings on Tuesday against TikTok, investigating the social media giant’s alleged failure to curb election interference, particularly concerning Romania’s presidential election held last month. The EU’s executive body announced it would seek information from TikTok regarding its policies on political advertisements and paid political content. Additionally, it will examine TikTok’s recommendation systems and assess the risks of potential manipulation. On December 5, the Commission ordered TikTok to freeze data related to the Romanian election, in accordance with the EU's comprehensive Digital Services Act, which governs the operations of major global social media platforms within Europe. Romania’s highest court later annulled the results of the presidential election following accusations of Russian interference and the victory of pro-Russia ultranationalist Calin Georgescu in the first round. The opening of these formal proceedings grants the Commission the authority to take further enforcement actions or accept commitments from TikTok. There is no fixed timeline for the completion of the proceedings. TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, stated that it has worked to safeguard its platform’s integrity in over 150 elections worldwide and has provided extensive information to the European Commission about its efforts.