Romanian National Defense Council accuses TikTok of influencing presidential elections

Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) accused TikTok of showing favoritism toward right-wing presidential candidate Calin Georgescu.

According to the body, the documents analyzed by the members of the Council indicate attempts at cyberattacks aimed at influencing the integrity of the electoral process, Romanian Insider reported.

Georgescu benefited from preferential treatment on TikTok – CSAT

They also stated that one of the candidates in the presidential election “benefited from massive coverage due to the preferential treatment that the Chinese-owned TikTok platform gave him without labeling him as a political candidate.”

“Thus, the visibility of this candidate was significantly increased compared to other candidates who were recognized by TikTok’s algorithms as candidates in the presidential election,” CSAT stated.

The Supreme Council of National Defense of Romania also appealed to the national security authorities with a request to “immediately take the necessary measures.”

Calls for investigation into TikTok

Romanian officials have alarmed the EU’s social media regulator about irregularities on TikTok during the first round of the national presidential election in the country.

The National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Romania asked the European Commission to launch an official investigation into TikTok and possible misuse of the platform.

The national media regulator Ancom informed the European Commission that TikTok had “not acted swiftly” to requests to secure the election, it said in a press release.

The deputy head of Romania’s telecommunications regulator, Pavel Popescu, has called for the suspension of TikTok’s operations in the country until the completion of the investigation into potential manipulation of the presidential election.

TikTok denies wrongdoing

The social network TikTok has denied the statements of the Romanian authorities, which accused it of favoritism towards the independent far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu. AFP published a comment from a TikTok spokesperson.

The social network representative labeled the claims that the Georgescu account received different treatment than the accounts of other candidates during the election as “categorically false”.

TikTok CEO summoned to European Parliament

The head of the European Parliament’s liberal political group, Renew Europe, a French MEP, Valerie Ayer, demanded that TikTok’s CEO come to the European Parliament and answer questions about the social network’s role in the Romanian presidential election, Politico reported.

Ayer called on TikTok’s CEO to “speak in this room (of the European Parliament – Ed.) and ensure that his platform does not violate” the norms of the EU Digital Services Act, which regulates requirements for online content.

The leader of the Liberal political group added that “radicalization and disinformation can take place across Europe with harmful consequences,” calling the situation in Romania a “wake-up call.”

Known for his far-right, anti-Western, anti-EU, and pro-Kremlin views, Calin Georgescu sensationally won the first round of the Romanian presidential election with over 22% of the vote.

The first-round triumph of ultranationalist and pro-Russian Calin Georgescu has sent shockwaves through the EU countries, with many questions raised about how a TikTok campaign was able to lift an unknown candidate from nowhere to victory in the national election. On December 8, the second round will take place.