TikTok tells European Parliament it has dismantled far-right campaign network that instigated Romanian presidential elections and plunged the country into crisis
In the presidential election in Romania, interference from the short video app TikTok has resulted in a far-right, pro-Russian and independent candidate winning the most votes. In response to this, Romanian authorities requested that TikTok be temporarily suspended in the country, but TikTok has reported to the European Parliament that it has successfully dismantled the network that was negatively influencing the election.
TikTok tells European Parliament that it dismantled networks of accounts targeting Romanian audience | Romania Insider
Audierea TikTok în Parlamentul European: Reprezentanții companiei susțin că a fost destructurată săptămâna trecută o rețea de 78 de conturi care țintea publicul român / 66 de conturi false, închise din septembrie
https://www.g4media.ro/audierea-tiktok-in-parlamentul-european-reprezentantii-companiei-sustin-ca-a-fost-destructurata-saptamana-trecuta-o-retea-de-78-de-conturi-care-tintea-publicul-roman-66-de-mii-de-conturi-false-inc.html
TikTok removed 3 influence campaigns during Romania’s elections – POLITICO
https://www.politico.eu/article/tiktok-removed-3-influence-campaigns-during-romania-elections-european-parliament/
In the Romanian presidential election that began on November 24, 2024, far-right, pro-Russian, independent candidate Calin Georgescu won the most votes in the first round of voting. In response to this, it has been reported that Romania's National Communications Regulatory Agency (ANCOM) has requested the suspension of TikTok in Romania until a national investigation into the manipulation of the electoral process is completed. In response to this voting result, the country's Constitutional Court ordered a recount of the votes.
Romanian regulators demand that TikTok be temporarily suspended, citing 'too much influence of TikTok videos on election results' after a pro-Russian, far-right independent candidate incited on TikTok to take first place in the presidential election - GIGAZINE
The Digital Services Act (DSA) came into force in the EU on February 17, 2024. The DSA imposes strict obligations on digital service providers, such as social media and e-commerce sites, to combat illegal content, online disinformation, and other societal risks. The European Commission (EC), which has the power to investigate and impose sanctions under the DSA, is investigating how some large online platforms are meeting these obligations.
In particular, the ongoing presidential election in Romania has called into question TikTok's risk management processes regarding information manipulation and third-party access to data. On December 3, 2024 local time, the European Parliament 's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee questioned TikTok's representatives about how TikTok is implementing EU digital regulations in light of the situation in Europe, especially in the presidential election in Romania.
In response, a TikTok representative told the European Parliament that they had removed multiple accounts that had targeted Romanian audiences with election-related content. Specifically, they reported that they had removed two campaigns targeting Romanian voters, as well as a known campaign that had been linked to the Russian government-backed media outlet Sputnik .
According to TikTok, two campaigns in Romania involved one network with 78 accounts and 1,781 followers promoting Calin Georgescu, and 12 accounts promoting another independent candidate, Mircea Joana. In addition, the campaign involving Sputnik included 11 accounts with nearly 140,000 followers. Although Sputnik's account has been banned on TikTok, new accounts are regularly opened.
According to local media G4Media, Bree Pegham, TikTok's global product head for trust and transparency, told the European Parliament, 'Between September and yesterday, we removed 66,000 fake accounts and multiple fake followers, including fake channels impersonating politicians. We also blocked 260,000 spam posts and are always working hard to prevent the spread of false information and ensure that information is as accurate as possible.'
Pegam also claims that all candidates in the Romanian presidential election were subject to TikTok's surveillance, saying, 'TikTok's system did not distinguish between candidates with political parties and those without.'
'It is against our rules for influencers to receive compensation to promote political content,' said Caroline Greer, TikTok's public policy director. She also said TikTok had been in contact with Romanian regulators for months before the Romanian presidential election and had taken steps to combat election interference.
Gurría defended TikTok's approach to the presidential election, saying that TikTok employs 95 Romanian content moderators, far more than any other platform. He also said that TikTok had been asked to investigate Mircea Joana, who ran as an independent candidate in the Romanian presidential election in October 2024.
'TikTok has also held meetings with the electoral commission and political parties, and we have hosted a Romanian government delegation in our Dublin offices. We are in ongoing dialogue with the authorities and will continue to do so,' Dalia said.
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