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TikTok Breached EU Advertising Transparency Laws, Says Committee

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The European Commission has determined that TikTok is breaching EU digital regulations, which mandate transparency from those who pay for advertising.

The committee has reached a preliminary conclusion regarding the advertising practices of the Chinese-owned short video platform, following an investigation that commenced in February 2024. Should the committee uphold this assessment, the company could incur a penalty of 6% of its global annual revenue.

Moreover, an ongoing EU investigation into TikTok, which raised concerns about the integrity of the Romanian election, is a priority for the committee. This inquiry began last December.

The committee’s finding of TikTok’s lack of advertising transparency comes just four days ahead of “Super Sunday,” when voters will head to the polls in Poland, Portugal, and Romania.

According to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), large internet platforms are required to maintain advertising libraries, detailing ad content and identifying target users who pay for advertisements. The committee noted that TikTok has failed to provide this information, inhibiting public access to search it. This repository is vital for EU officials to detect fraudulent ads and coordinated campaigns aimed at election disruption.

Romania experienced political upheaval last year when the first round of the presidential election was nullified, citing a Russian online campaign promoting far-right candidates who skewed voting outcomes.

On Sunday, Romanian voters will select between two candidates in the second round of the rescheduled presidential election.

The European Commission initiated an investigation last December to assess whether TikTok adequately managed the risks to the integrity of Romania’s presidential election. Ursula von der Leyen, the committee’s president, stated, “There are substantial indications that foreign entities have utilized TikTok to meddle in Romanian presidential elections.”

The alleged non-compliance with TikTok’s advertising library complicates efforts for EU officials and researchers to ascertain if misleading ads were utilized in election campaigns, including in Romania. However, the committee cautioned against concluding that TikTok has violated the DSA’s electoral integrity requirements.

Commission spokesperson Thomas Leisure indicated that there is no direct correlation between the December investigation and the preliminary findings regarding advertising transparency violations.

“Naturally, the malfunctioning ad repository is an issue since it hampers the ability to assess whether fake or deceptive ads are being employed in elections,” explained Regnier. Nevertheless, he added, “The fact that the advertising repository is malfunctioning in the context of this February investigation does not impact the findings of the December inquiry.”

As part of the December investigation, EU officials stated that Mr. TikTok is evaluating necessary measures to avert electoral interference in Romania.

A TikTok spokesperson mentioned that the company is reviewing the committee’s preliminary findings regarding the advertising repository. “While we support the regulatory aims of the DSA, we are also continuously enhancing our advertising transparency tools. We contest some of the committee’s interpretations and highlight that guidance is being provided through preliminary findings rather than explicit public directives,” the company stated.

The company currently has the right to examine the committee’s investigative files and establish a defense. If the committee confirms its findings, TikTok could be fined up to 6% of its annual global revenue and will be required to take corrective measures.

The committee also noted that TikTok’s algorithm continues to face scrutiny for other suspicious activities under EU law, including whether users engage with content that leads to addictive behaviors. Investigations into TikTok’s age verification and child safety protocols also commenced in February last year alongside the inquiry into the advertising repository, but those efforts remain unresolved.

TikTok has previously indicated that it is collaborating with relevant authorities regarding the elections.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ministers around the world becoming targets of Russian hackers on WhatsApp | Breached

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Government-linked hackers from Russia targeted WhatsApp accounts of government officials worldwide by sending emails inviting them to join user groups on the messaging app.

This tactic by a hacking group called Star Blizzard is a new approach. The UK’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) has connected Star Blizzard to Russia’s FSB domestic spy agency, accusing them of trying to undermine trust in politics in the UK and similar countries.

According to Microsoft, victims would receive an email from an attacker posing as a US government official, instructing them to click on a QR code. This action would allow the attacker to access their WhatsApp account, connecting it to a linked device or WhatsApp web portal instead of a group.

Microsoft stated, “Threat actors gain access to messages within WhatsApp accounts and the ability to exfiltrate this data.”

The fake email invited recipients to join a WhatsApp group about supporting NGOs in Ukraine. Ministers and officials from various countries, especially those involved in Russia-related affairs, defense policy, and Ukraine support, were targeted.

In 2023, NCSC revealed that Star Blizzard had targeted British MPs, universities, and journalists to interfere with British politics. The group is likely affiliated with Russia’s FSB Center 18 unit.

Microsoft warned that despite the WhatsApp campaign ending in November, Star Blizzard continues to use spear phishing tactics to steal sensitive information.


Microsoft advised targeted sectors to be cautious with emails, especially those with external links. They recommend verifying email authenticity by contacting the sender through a known email address.

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, offers end-to-end encryption, ensuring message privacy between sender and recipient unless account access is compromised.

A WhatsApp spokesperson emphasized using official WhatsApp-supported services for account linking and caution when clicking links from trusted sources only.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Adobe drops support for Figma, Apple Watch sales paused, millions of accounts breached by hackers

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Welcome everyone to Week in Review (WiR). This is TechCrunch’s regular newsletter that recaps the top tech and tech-related stories from the past few days. With the holidays approaching, reporters expected a quiet week. But the opposite happened. I have no shortage of stories to write.

In this WiR, we learn that Comcast and Mr. Cooper’s customer data was stolen, electric scooter company Bird files for bankruptcy, Adobe ends its plan to acquire Figma, and Apple The report deals with the fact that the company is being forced to suspend sales by the International Trade Commission (ITC). apple watch. Also: Nikola founder Trevor Milton’s securities fraud conviction, Microsoft’s chatbot CoPilot now adding music-generating capabilities, and Consumer Reports’ impressions of Tesla’s Autopilot recall fix (spoiler: good news) We also highlight the

There are many things we need to overcome, so let’s do our best. But before that, if you haven’t already, here’s a reminder to subscribe here so you can receive his WiR in your inbox every Saturday.

well read

Hackers target Comcast: Comcast has confirmed that hackers who exploited a security vulnerability rated critical gained access to sensitive information of approximately 36 million Xfinity customers. The vulnerability, known as “CitrixBleed,” was discovered in Citrix networking devices commonly used by large enterprises and has been heavily exploited by malicious actors since August, Carly reports.

Mr. Cooper under fire: In related news, hackers stole sensitive personal information of more than 14.6 million of Cooper’s customers, Zack wrote. The mortgage and loan giant admitted that criminals stole customers’ names, addresses, dates of birth, and phone numbers, as well as social security numbers and bank account numbers.

Adobe gives up: Adobe finally makes a huge $20 billion bid to acquire rival Figma officially dead This comes after the companies announced this week that their acquisition plans had been scrapped due to regulatory resistance in Europe. The deal, first announced last September, has always attracted regulatory scrutiny due to its size and the fact that it removed one of Adobe’s major rivals from the shadows. Paul points out.

Apple stops selling Apple Watch: Apple has stopped selling its Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches following an October ruling by the ITC over a patent dispute with California-based medical technology company Masimo. The controversy revolves around the blood sensor monitor in the latest flagship Apple Watch. Apple is appealing the ITC’s ruling.

Nikola’s founder declared: Trevor Milton, the disgraced founder and former CEO of electric truck startup Nikola, was sentenced Monday to four years in prison for securities fraud. Rebecca wrote that the ruling ended a years-long saga in which Nikola’s stock soared as much as 83% at one point, only to plummet months later amid fraud charges and contract cancellations.

The co-pilot learns the composition skill. Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered chatbot, can now compose songs through integration with generative AI (GenAI) music app Suno. Users can enter prompts into Copilot, such as “Create a pop song about my adventures with my family,” and have her Suno bring their musical ideas to life through the plugin.

Tesla fixes ‘inadequate’: After the test, consumer report He said Tesla’s fixes for the Autopilot recall of more than 2 million vehicles were “insufficient.” Sean noted that while the test is not comprehensive, it shows that questions remain about Tesla’s approach to driver monitoring, the technology at the heart of the recall.

Bird files for bankruptcy: bird Submitted Under Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Code, capping off a turbulent year for the electric scooter company.in press releaseBird confirmed it had entered a “financial restructuring process aimed at strengthening its balance sheet” and said the company was continuing business as usual with the aim of “long-term, sustainable growth.”

audio

Want a listening ear as you prepare your holiday dishes? You’re in luck — TechCrunch’s podcasts are just the ticket.

this week’s capitalthe second in a two-part series looking back at 2023, in which our staff recapped the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the long and tedious trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman Fried, and the wild office politics of OpenAI .

meanwhile, found We focused on Charlie Hernandez and his journey building My Pocket Lawyer, an online platform aimed at giving people who can’t afford a lawyer democratic access to legal advice and guidance . Hernandez talked about why he decided to use his law degree to tackle this issue.

and Chain reaction Featuring Staci Warden, CEO of the Algorand Foundation, the organization behind the layer 1 blockchain Algorand. Algorand is a Singapore-based blockchain that aims to be fast, secure, decentralized, and “the greenest” with a carbon negative network.

TechCrunch+

TC+ subscribers have access to in-depth commentary, analysis, and surveys. You probably know these if you’re already a subscriber. If not, please consider signing up. Here are some highlights from this week.

Etsy headcount reductions: Etsy recently announced it would lay off 11% of its workforce, which comes as no surprise to those who follow the e-commerce space closely, Anna writes. She predicts that “junkification” and fierce competition will chart a difficult future.

DEI backlash: Dom writes about the dispiriting backlash against DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), a framework for creating more conscious workplace efforts to support marginalized communities in the tech sector. I am.

Figma’s rosy outlook: Anna writes that things don’t seem too bad for Figma even without Adobe. CB Insights estimates that the startup’s value is still between $8.3 billion and $9 billion.

Source: techcrunch.com