The Polish government has asked the European Commission to initiate proceedings against the TikTok platform in connection with the mass distribution of content created using artificial intelligence (AI) containing calls for Poland to leave the European Union. Warsaw considers this content to be a coordinated disinformation campaign, likely of Russian origin.
Poland’s Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs Dariusz Stunderski sent a letter to the European Commission emphasizing that videos distributed in the Polish-language segment of TikTok show signs of an organized disinformation campaign. In AI-generated videos, young women dressed in Polish national colors call for Polexit (Poland’s exit from the EU), criticize migration policy, and promote far-right narratives.
“The disclosed content poses a threat to public order, information security, and the integrity of democratic processes in Poland and throughout the European Union,” Stunderski said. He noted that the nature of the narratives, the methods of dissemination, and the use of synthetic audiovisual materials indicate that TikTok is not fulfilling its obligations as a very large online platform (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Polish government spokesman Adam Szlapka added that the recordings contain Russian syntax, which makes them “undoubtedly Russian disinformation.” One of the popular profiles with such videos gained a significant audience in recent weeks but was later removed from the platform.
TikTok responded to the authorities’ requests: a company representative said that the platform had contacted the Polish authorities and removed content that violated the rules. The European Commission confirmed receipt of the letter and reminded that under the DSA, large platforms are required to assess the risks associated with AI, including the spread of misinformation.
This is not the first time regulators have taken an interest in TikTok: in 2024, the European Commission already opened proceedings against the platform (owned by China’s ByteDance) for possible interference in the Romanian elections. Violations of the DSA can result in fines of up to 6% of a company’s global annual turnover.