December 9, 2024 at 05:44AM
The EU began investigating TikTok’s involvement in promoting Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu, following intelligence files suggesting Moscow coordinated a campaign for him. The election results were annulled, prompting concerns over foreign influence and a digital regulation request to TikTok. The platform has 24 hours to respond.
**Meeting Notes Takeaways:**
1. **EU Investigation into TikTok:** The European Union has requested urgent information from TikTok regarding alleged coordinated disinformation campaigns related to Romania’s presidential election.
2. **Allegations of Russian Influence:** Romanian intelligence files suggest that Moscow coordinated influencer activities on TikTok to promote Calin Georgescu, a far-right candidate who unexpectedly became the front-runner in the elections.
3. **Election Turmoil:** The Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the results from the first round of voting, necessitating a new round of elections.
4. **TikTok’s Request for Information:** This is the second request from the European Commission since the election’s first round, reflecting ongoing concerns about foreign interference in elections.
5. **Content Moderation Concerns:** The EU has urged TikTok to improve its content moderation policies and comply with the Digital Services Act, particularly in response to increasing evidence of foreign online influence.
6. **Financial Incentives for Promotion:** Reports indicate that a TikTok user allegedly financed influencers with $381,000 to promote content favoring Georgescu, with promotional accounts created shortly before the elections.
7. **Immediate Deadline for Response:** TikTok has been given 24 hours to respond to the EU’s request for information during this critical period leading up to the election re-vote.
8. **Call for Vigilance:** Officials emphasize the necessity for TikTok to enhance resources to counter misinformation and uphold election integrity amidst ongoing political turmoil in Romania.