TikTok's Controversial Role in Romania's Presidential Elections
The recent presidential election in Romania has sparked significant debate regarding the influence of social media, particularly TikTok, on electoral outcomes. Pro-Russian far-right candidate Calin Georgescu's unexpected advancement to the second round of the election has raised alarms both nationally and across Europe. Georgescu, an anti-vaxxer technocrat, leveraged a viral TikTok campaign that resonated with voters by advocating for a cessation of support for Ukraine, ultimately securing nearly 23% of the vote in the first round. This result has sent shockwaves through Romania, a country of 19 million that is a member of both the EU and NATO.
In response to the electoral developments, Romania's telecommunications regulator announced an investigation into the manipulation of the electoral process via TikTok. Pavel Popescu, the vice president of the regulator, called for the platform to be suspended from November 28 until the investigation is complete. Concurrently, the Romanian Presidency has convened the Supreme Council of National Defense to assess potential cyber risks associated with the elections, highlighting concerns over national security and the integrity of electoral processes.
European Scrutiny and Regulatory Implications
The European Commission is also closely monitoring the situation, with Romanian media regulators requesting a formal investigation into TikTok's role in the elections. Under the Digital Markets Regulation (DMA), TikTok is required to assess and mitigate risks related to electoral processes. Should the Commission find any violations, it could initiate a compliance verification procedure against the platform, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance and boasts over a billion active users monthly.
In light of these developments, TikTok has defended its practices, asserting that most candidates utilized various digital platforms for their campaigns, not solely TikTok. The platform has emphasized its commitment to combating electoral disinformation. However, the situation has prompted calls from European lawmakers for TikTok's CEO to address concerns regarding compliance with the Digital Services Act, underscoring the broader implications of social media in democratic processes across Europe.