**The European Union has initiated a formal investigation into TikTok due to suspicions of foreign interference in Romania's recent presidential election, involving the sudden activation of thousands of accounts.**
**EU Scrutinizes TikTok Over Alleged Interference in Romanian Elections**
**EU Scrutinizes TikTok Over Alleged Interference in Romanian Elections**
**Formal probe launched after claims of foreign influence through the social media platform.**
The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into TikTok regarding its role in alleged foreign interference during the recent Romanian presidential election. The investigation arises from serious concerns over the activation of approximately 25,000 TikTok accounts just weeks before the first round of voting, primarily supporting independent candidate Calin Georgescu. The candidate, who aligns with far-right ideologies and has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, faced scrutiny as accusations surfaced around the authenticity of his online campaign.
President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the necessity for democracies to be safeguarded against foreign meddling, confirming that the investigation would examine whether TikTok's advertising practices contravene the Digital Services Act (DSA). This legislation aims to combat the spread of disinformation and holds platforms accountable for their content dissemination practices. "We must act swiftly and firmly when there is suspicion of interference, especially during elections," von der Leyen asserted.
Georgescu had concentrated his election efforts heavily on TikTok, a strategy that raised alarms given that Romanian intelligence agencies suspect Russian interference in the electoral process. Reports indicated that pro-Georgescu TikToks were not labeled as election content, which contravenes Romanian law. Additionally, there were issues surrounding a specific account that invested $381,000 on posts promoting Georgescu; the candidate, however, denied any private financial involvement with the platform.
In response to the allegations, TikTok has firmly denied the claims of tailored treatment for Georgescu's account, maintaining that the platform does allow organic sharing of election content, although paid political ads are prohibited. Following notifications from Romanian authorities about videos lacking necessary identifiers, TikTok took down the flagged content within 24 hours.
The investigation will not only focus on the alleged external manipulation of TikTok's algorithms but will also evaluate the platform's policies regarding political advertisements. The EU has issued a directive on December 5 to ensure TikTok preserves its documents concerning how it curates user content, particularly in relation to upcoming EU elections. This inquiry is rhythmically linked to an ongoing investigation into possible breaches of the DSA concerning harmful content aimed at minors.
Previous intelligence reports suggested that Georgescu's rapid rise in popularity stemmed from a coordinated online campaign characterized by repeated messaging, leading up to the first electoral round. Just prior to the cancellation of the runoff, he was in a tight race against reformist candidate Elena Lasconi. Notably, Georgescu's ideological stance includes opposing military support to Ukraine and promoting conspiracy theories concerning significant global events, further complicating his campaign narrative.
