Poland Confronts TikTok Over AI Misinformation Risks, Urging Decisive EU Investigation

In a significant move that highlights the growing tension between national governments and global social media platforms, Poland has formally requested that the European Commission launch a comprehensive investigation into TikTok’s management of artificial intelligence-generated content. The demand, issued from Warsaw on December 30, 2025, underscores a deepening concern across Europe regarding the potential for deepfakes and AI-driven misinformation to destabilize public discourse and compromise democratic integrity. By appealing directly to Brussels, Polish authorities are seeking to leverage the European Union's robust regulatory framework, specifically the Digital Services Act and the recently implemented AI Act, to hold the ByteDance-owned platform accountable for the content it amplifies to millions of young users.

The impetus for this diplomatic pressure stems from what Polish officials describe as a systemic failure to adequately label and moderate AI-generated media. Within the formal petition directed to the European Commission, the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs emphasized that the current safeguards provided by TikTok are insufficient to prevent the spread of hyper-realistic but entirely fabricated videos and audio clips. This technological gap, they argue, poses a direct threat to social cohesion and national security, particularly in a geopolitical climate where digital disinformation is frequently used as a tool for political manipulation. The Polish government’s stance reflects a broader continental anxiety that without strict oversight, the line between reality and synthetic fabrication on social media will vanish entirely.

Brussels has acknowledged the receipt of the Polish request, marking a potential turning point for how the European Union enforces its digital mandates. Under the Digital Services Act, very large online platforms are required to mitigate "systemic risks," which includes the dissemination of illegal or harmful content. If the Commission decides to move forward with a formal probe, TikTok could face scrutiny over its internal algorithms and the efficacy of its automated moderation tools. This development follows a series of warnings from EU regulators who have grown increasingly impatient with the slow pace of tech giants in adopting transparent AI-labeling standards.

The timing of Poland's intervention is particularly poignant as Europe enters a new era of digital governance. While TikTok has previously stated its commitment to fighting misinformation and has introduced features to tag AI-generated content, Polish regulators argue these measures are often easily bypassed or inconsistently applied. The call for an investigation is not merely about a single platform but serves as a litmus test for the European Union's ability to police the rapidly evolving frontier of generative AI. As the investigation looms, the outcome could set a precedent for how all major tech companies are required to handle synthetic media, potentially reshaping the user experience for hundreds of millions of people across the single market.

Beyond the immediate legal implications, the standoff between Warsaw and TikTok highlights the evolving role of national governments in the digital age. Poland has been at the forefront of advocating for tighter controls on social media, often citing its unique position on the EU's eastern flank as a reason for heightened vigilance against foreign-sponsored influence operations. By bringing this issue to the heart of the European bureaucracy, Poland is ensuring that the challenges posed by AI are treated not just as a technical glitch, but as a fundamental challenge to the stability of the European project. The world now watches as Brussels prepares its response, which will likely determine the level of transparency and accountability required from the world’s most influential digital platforms.