Brussels, My Love? Brussels, my love? Do TikTok algorithms sway elections? In this edition, we look at whether TikTok's algorithms could have swayed the Romanian presidential elections, and ask if Europe should ban under-16s from social media. 07/12/2024
Europe News EU demands 'urgent' answers from TikTok about Romanian election A series of declassified documents suggest TikTok was exploited by a "state actor" to influence the outcome of Romania's presidential election. 06/12/2024
Europe News Declassified reports hint at 'state actor' behind Georgescu's campaign Five secret reports from different Romanian institutions and agencies have been made public by the country's president upon their request. 04/12/2024
Culture news Who won the first UK & Ireland TikTok Awards? Educators, popstars, and a terminally ill cancer patient were among the winners of the inaugural TikTok Awards UK & Ireland 2024 04/12/2024
Europe News Lawmakers keep TikTok on watch after clashes over Romanian election TikTok says it engaged with Romanian authorities ahead of the election, and follows the EU's online platform rules. 03/12/2024
Radio Schuman Is Romania a wake-up call for social media regulation in Brussels? Last week, Romania's National Audiovisual Council asked the European Commission to investigate the role of Tik Tok in the Romanian presidential elections. 03/12/2024
Culture news ‘Brain rot’ is Oxford’s Word of the Year for 2024 ‘Brain rot’ refers to the “supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material considered to be trivial or unchallenging.” 02/12/2024
EuroVerify TikTok accused of failing to tackle election disinformation in Ireland The Chinese-owned platform is under increasing scrutiny in Europe for its influence over electoral processes. 29/11/2024
Europe News Romania's top court asks for presidential election first round recount Far-right, Moscow-friendly candidate Călin Georgescu dramatically won in the election's first round — shocking the country's political establishment. 28/11/2024
Tech News Romanian authorities ask EU to investigate TikTok role in election TikTok was widely used by the frontrunner in the Romanian presidential election last week. 27/11/2024
Tech News Australian social media ban for under 16s moves closer to becoming law Australia's social media ban for children under 16 has come a step closer to becoming law as it passes the House of Representatives. 27/11/2024
Europe News Romanian 'TikTok Messiah' embodies hybrid war with West Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu has millions of likes on TikTok and hundreds of thousands of followers. He ran a successful social media campaign to emerge victorious in the first round of the country's presidential elections. 27/11/2024
Culture news 'Demure' named 2024 Word of the Year by Dictionary.com Its exact meaning is hard to pinpoint, as a word once associated with shyness and modesty has taken on a whole new life through internet fame this year. Another case of TikTok recontextualizing language - which can be both fascinating and confusing. 26/11/2024
Tech News Social media sites call for delay to Australia's social media ban Social media sites are lobbying the Australian government to delay its proposed age limits for children younger than 16. 25/11/2024
Tech News Dutch ministry to check best practices for online content moderation The investigation comes after video sharing application TikTok said it will close its Amsterdam office. 20/11/2024
Lifestyle Backlash against women shaving their heads to protest Donald Trump Women are shaving their heads on TikTok to protest Donald Trump's reelection, as part of the 4B movement. In reaction, cancer survivors and alopecia victims have been condemning this trend, while Trump supporters have been mocking it. 18/11/2024
Tech News TikTok, X, Meta exposed to terrorist content: Irish regulator The online platforms now have three months to report back about the measures they took to take down illegal content. 14/11/2024
Culture news TikTok announce first UK and Ireland awards Some of the biggest UK and Irish TikTokers have been shortlisted for the first awards dedicated to the platform. 13/11/2024
Tech News Could Donald Trump 'save TikTok' from a potential ban in the US? Donald Trump previously promised to save TikTok from a potential ban from the US next year. 13/11/2024
Tech News Seven French families sue TikTok over harmful content The lawyer representing the plaintiffs told Euronews that TikTok’s “addictive” design and limited content moderation is harmful to young people. 07/11/2024