Calls for TikTok suspension after shock election result in Romania

Bucharest: A senior official at Romania’s telecoms regulator called on Wednesday for TikTok to be suspended pending an investigation into the platform’s potential role in Sunday’s shock far-right victory in the first round of a presidential election.

Having polled in single digits before Sunday’s vote, independent far-right politician Calin Georgescu, 62, surged to a victory that raised questions over how such a surprise had been possible in the European Union and NATO member state.

Shock win: Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu.Credit: Getty Images

He will face centrist contender Elena Lasconi in a run-off on December 8.

Georgescu gained many votes from young voters and Romanians living abroad, and his campaign relied heavily on the video-sharing platform.

“I call for the TikTok platform to be suspended in Romania as of November 28 until state institutions finalise an investigation concerning the manipulation of the electoral process,” telecoms regulator deputy chief Pavel Popescu was quoted saying by the news website profit.ro.

“I will start the official process to that end tomorrow.”

A man with the Romanian and EU flags takes part in a protest against Calin Georgescu in Bucharest.Credit: AP

The government’s press office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Romania’s National Audiovisual Council (NAC) had already called on the European Commission on Tuesday to investigate TikTok’s role in the vote, due to “suspicions of manipulation of public opinion”.

NAC vice president Valentin-Alexandru Jucan said the council believed the platform’s algorithms had amplified material favourable to a single candidate and that it had lacked transparency about who was sponsoring election content.

A TikTok spokesperson dismissed such concerns.

“These ... reports about the Romanian elections are inaccurate and misleading, as most candidates have established a TikTok presence and the winners campaigned on other digital platforms beyond ours,” the spokesperson said.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a further request for comment about Popescu’s comments.

The European Commission confirmed by email that it had received a request to launch a probe.

“If the Commission suspects a breach on the basis of the evidence at our disposal, it can open proceedings to look into TikTok’s compliance ... We are closely monitoring developments.”

In a further sign of the level of concern in the nation of 19 million people, the president’s office said Romania’s top security body would meet on Thursday to discuss possible risks to the country and its electoral process stemming from social media.

Meanwhile, two candidates eliminated in the first round have challenged the election round at Romania’s top court asking it to recall the result on the grounds Georgescu did not declare any campaign funding sources.

Georgescu’s team has yet to comment on the challenge.

Georgescu has said his budget was zero and his campaign backed entirely by volunteers. Analysts and politicians have said his surprise win relative to his pre-election polling data indicated foreign interference in the election.

Before the vote, Romania’s intelligence agency told lawmakers it had not detected signs that national security was breached.

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Bucharest on Tuesday evening, chanting: “No Putin, no fear, Europe is our mother,” and “Young people ask you not to vote for a dictator.” Protests were also held in other major cities.

Georgescu has previously praised 1930s Romanian fascist politicians as national heroes and martyrs, has been critical of NATO and Romania’s pro-Ukraine position, and has said the country should engage, not challenge Russia.

But in a stream on Facebook on Tuesday evening, he said: “I do not want to leave NATO, I do not want to leave the European Union. What I want, however, is to take a stance, not to kneel over there, not to take everything. Like I said, we should do everything in our national interest.”

Reuters

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