BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — TikTok recently revealed that it dismantled several networks attempting to interfere in Romania's elections, as company executives defended their election integrity measures before European Union lawmakers. The video-sharing platform has come under scrutiny in Romania following the unexpected rise of far-right candidate Calin Georgescu, leading to allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference.
TikTok identified two small groups that were disrupted shortly after the initial round of voting. One group, with just 1,781 followers, supported Georgescu, who gained prominence after winning the first round against the incumbent prime minister. The other networks backed different candidates.
Georgescu's success has been attributed to his TikTok account, which boasts 5.8 million likes and 527,000 followers. However, concerns have been raised about potential artificial inflation of his online following and allegations of preferential treatment by TikTok.
The situation underscores TikTok's significant role as an election tool in Romania, a member of the EU and NATO with a border adjacent to Ukraine. The company applied its global playbook for the Romanian election and collaborated with local staff on the ground.
TikTok deployed 95 Romanian language content moderators, engaged with a fact-checking group, and held discussions with political parties and electoral authorities. Despite these efforts, some EU lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with TikTok's responses, calling for more specific answers and questioning the effectiveness of the content moderators during the election period.
An Expert Forum think tank report revealed that Georgescu's TikTok account amassed 92.8 million views in the months leading up to the election, with a significant surge just before the first-round vote. Several impersonation accounts, including one featuring Georgescu content, were removed following the election.
Georgescu is set to compete against reformist Elena Lasconi in the upcoming presidential runoff. The controversy surrounding TikTok's role in the Romanian election has sparked debate among EU lawmakers regarding the platform's compliance with the Digital Services Act.
