In response, a TikTok spokesperson said the company disagreed with the allegations and that it had "been working with the FTC for more than a year to address its concerns."

"We're disappointed the agency is pursuing litigation instead of continuing to work with us on a reasonable solution," they added.

The FTC's announcement adds to the growing pressure faced by TikTok in the US.

In April, President Joe Biden signed into law a bill that gave ByteDance a maximum of a year to sell the app or face a ban in the country.

Italy's current government is led by the Brothers of Italy party, which has roots in post-war fascism. Its leader, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has said her movement has completely changed and it is clear her politics are not those of the people raising their arms in Milan. But some fear she and her party have not moved far enough away from their political origins and that what was once considered the extreme is becoming mainstream.

"Fascism did not die in 1945 – it was militarily defeated but it continued to live in the mind of many Italians," says Paolo Berizzi, a journalist for the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica. He has lived under 24-hour police protection for the past five years, after receiving threats from extremist groups. "Italy has never truly come to terms with its past," he says.

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have said they have strong reservations about the integrity of the Greek investigation and evidence and are asking whether the defendants will receive a fair trial.

The Greek coastguard has constantly denied their actions brought about the disaster and the authorities have rejected all claims of wrongdoing or of a cover-up.