To promote fairness in the digital age, we audited TikTok and YouTube's search and recommendation engines during the 2022 French Presidential Elections. Over four months, we monitored candidate visibility, highlighting key discrepancies in how platforms shaped political exposure.

Using our open-source tools, we collected data between January 15-April 24, 2022, querying election-related terms in French. Our analysis showed variations in visibility unrelated to public voting trends. TikTok and YouTube differed significantly due to their unique algorithms and policies.

Unlike traditional media, where regulatory bodies ensure fair airtime, social media lacks such oversight, posing challenges to political pluralism. The findings emphasized the platforms' role in shaping political discourse and the need for transparency and regulation in candidate exposure.

Our report was presented to ARCOM's election integrity and contributed to a larger report on global election integrity.