Did TikTok let Russia influence the Romanian presidential election? The European Commission announced on Tuesday, December 17, the opening of an investigation against the Chinese social network, which the Romanian authorities suspect of having failed in its obligations, in particular by allowing a huge influence operation in favor of the pro-Russian candidate. Calin Georgescu.
The far-right candidate, who came first in the first round on November 24 to everyone's surprise, is in fact suspected by the Romanian authorities of having benefited from an illicit support campaign orchestrated by Moscow, particularly on TikTok.
“We must protect our democracies from all forms of foreign interference”said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling for action “quickly and firmly”. The European executive plays the role of digital policeman in the EU, under the Digital Services Regulation (DSA) which came into full force on February 17.
“Following serious indications that foreign actors interfered in the Romanian presidential elections using TikTok, we are conducting a thorough investigation to determine whether [la plateforme] violated the Digital Services Act by failing to address these risks”explained Mme von der Leyen, quoted in a press release which does not directly mention Russia.
The Commission's investigation will focus on election-related risk management, in particular regarding TikTok's recommendation systems suspected of having been used for “coordinated manipulation”. It will also examine the management by the platform of “political advertisements and sponsored political content”.
Declassified information
The decision to open an investigation “takes into account information received from declassified intelligence reports from the Romanian authorities as well as reports from third parties”specified Brussels.
It is also based on an analysis of the risk assessment reports transmitted by TikTok in 2023 and in 2024, within the framework of the DSA, on the platform's responses to the Commission's questions, as well as on internal documents provided by TikTok. Brussels emphasizes that the DSA does not set any legal deadline for closing a formal investigation.
In the event of proven infringements, the Commission can impose fines of up to 6% of its annual turnover on the offender. In the event of serious and repeated violations, platforms can even theoretically be banned from all activity in Europe.
The European Commission announced in early December that it was intensifying its monitoring of TikTok. She had ordered the platform “to freeze and retain data linked to real or foreseeable systemic risks that its service could present with regard to electoral processes and civic debate in the European Union”.
Election interference
An extremely rare occurrence in Europe, the Romanian justice system canceled the presidential election at the beginning of December, after Calin Georgescu had won the first round, citing “multiple irregularities and violations of the electoral law having distorted” the vote.
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Out of nowhere, Mr. Georgescu swept aside the favorites from the government parties. Critic of the EU and NATO, this 62-year-old former senior official whose message “Romania first”which went viral, attracted a part of the population tired of traditional parties who declared themselves in favor of a total cessation of military aid to Ukraine.
Romanian intelligence has drawn parallels to previous Russian election interference efforts in Europe and documented “25,000 TikTok accounts” directly associated with Mr. Georgescu's campaign, who became “extremely active two weeks before the election date”.
Source: Lemonde