Disinformation Campaign on TikTok Fuels Controversy Surrounding Romanian Election Cancellation
A wave of disinformation has flooded TikTok, falsely accusing European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of orchestrating the cancellation of the second round of Romania’s presidential elections. This misleading narrative, promoted by pro-Georgescu accounts, attempts to shift blame away from the Romanian Constitutional Court’s decision, which cited declassified intelligence suggesting interference by a "state actor" in the first round of voting. The disinformation campaign exploits the already contentious political climate surrounding the unexpected first-round victory of ultra-nationalist candidate Calin Georgescu. It leverages anti-EU sentiment and portrays Georgescu as a victim of Western manipulation. These false claims, amplified through videos and spurious news websites, have further muddied the waters and fueled distrust in the electoral process.
The disinformation campaign centers on the baseless allegation that von der Leyen pressured Romanian authorities, including outgoing President Klaus Iohannis, to cancel the runoff election. This narrative is often presented alongside anti-Western rhetoric and praise for Georgescu. Some videos even go so far as to claim von der Leyen ordered Georgescu’s "execution," a blatant and inflammatory falsehood. The origin of these claims can be traced back to comments made by a conservative political commentator on French television, which were subsequently distorted and amplified on TikTok. The disinformation campaign also attempts to lend credibility to its claims by citing articles from "France Soir," a website falsely presented as a legitimate news outlet. In reality, "France Soir" is a known disinformation platform run by a conspiracy theorist.
The Romanian Constitutional Court’s decision to annul the first round of voting and cancel the subsequent runoff is indeed unprecedented. The decision was based on classified intelligence, the full details of which have not been released publicly. This lack of transparency has fueled speculation and provided fertile ground for the spread of disinformation. While the Court’s decision cites evidence of electoral law breaches related to Georgescu’s campaign, the specifics remain undisclosed. Legal experts have described the situation as highly unusual, highlighting the extraordinary nature of annulling an election based on classified information.
The European Commission, while refraining from directly commenting on the Romanian Constitutional Court’s decision, has emphasized that the ultimate decision regarding the election rests with Romanian citizens. However, the Commission has taken decisive action against TikTok for its role in the spread of disinformation related to the Romanian elections. The Commission has initiated formal proceedings against TikTok for alleged breaches of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), citing concerns about the platform’s failure to adequately address risks to electoral integrity. The Commission has demanded information from TikTok regarding its potential role in amplifying Georgescu’s online campaign, possibly through artificial inflation by a state actor.
TikTok, as a major online platform with a vast user base in Europe, is subject to the strictest regulations under the DSA. These regulations require platforms to mitigate "systemic risks" stemming from their content moderation practices, algorithms, data handling, and advertising policies. TikTok claims to have removed several "covert influence networks" this year and insists it has robust systems in place to protect electoral processes. However, an investigation by Global Witness suggests that Georgescu’s content was promoted on the platform at a significantly higher rate than that of his opponent, raising questions about potential manipulation of TikTok’s algorithms.
While TikTok prohibits political advertising, Romanian intelligence agencies allege that businessman Bogdan Peschir spent approximately €1 million on Georgescu’s campaign, including payments to TikTok users for promoting his candidacy. This would constitute a violation of Romanian law. Peschir denies these allegations, but Romanian police have raided properties linked to him as part of their investigation. The European Commission’s actions against TikTok underscore the growing concern about the platform’s role in disseminating disinformation and potentially influencing electoral processes. The case highlights the challenges posed by online platforms in safeguarding democratic processes and the need for robust regulatory frameworks to address these issues.