EU Says Online Platforms Represent Threat to Elections, Children
Thomas Regnier emphasized that the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) assigns direct accountability to online platforms for adhering to bloc-wide regulations.
"Who can pose risk to our elections? It's online platforms. Who can pose risks to our kids? Online platforms. Who can amplify illegal, harmful content? Again, it's online platforms, and I can go on ... We want to use them, but they can clearly pose a risk to our citizens and to our societies," he said.
Regnier firmly rejected allegations from a US Congress Judiciary Committee report claiming the European Commission indirectly interferes in European electoral processes, including in Romania. He clarified that the EU executive never meddles in national elections.
The commission can, however, convene roundtable discussions with platforms at the request of national governments—as occurred with TikTok in Romania. These sessions work to prevent algorithms from disproportionately amplifying content favoring specific political parties, Regnier explained.
In December 2024, the European Union launched formal proceedings against TikTok amid mounting concerns over election security and the platform's obligations during campaign periods.
Regarding the active TikTok investigation, Regnier noted the platform has been "extremely cooperative" and has implemented compliance measures aligned with EU standards.
He characterized the DSA as a "powerful tool" safeguarding citizens and overseeing platforms Europe-wide, stressing that accountability rests with platforms—not individual executives.
"We are not attacking individuals with the DSA. We're looking at the platforms. So if the CEO indeed algorithmically promotes a political party and decreases the visibility of all the others, then he doesn't become liable. The platform becomes liable. So our focus is always, always, always on the platform," he said.
Regnier confirmed that X maintains ongoing engagement with the EU Commission via its compliance division, with no procedural violations recorded. He noted the European Commission favors dialogue but will intervene when protecting the internal market demands action.
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