European Union Initiates TikTok Investigation Regarding Suspected Russian Interference in Romanian Election

The executive branch of the European Union has commenced a formal inquiry into TikTok, citing “serious indications” of foreign intervention in the recent Romanian presidential election, which utilized the video-sharing platform. The second-round ballot was canceled earlier this month after declassified intelligence documents revealed that 25,000 TikTok accounts were abruptly activated weeks before the initial round of voting began. These accounts supported the independent candidate Calin Georgescu, a largely unknown far-right campaigner who characterized Russia’s Vladimir Putin as a “patriot and a leader,” though he denied being an admirer. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asserted that democratic systems must be safeguarded from external meddling. EU regulators will assess whether TikTok’s advertising policies and its content recommendation systems for users violate the Digital Services Act (DSA), a regulation designed to prevent the spread of disinformation and halt illegal online activities. “Whenever we suspect such interference, especially during elections, we must act swiftly and firmly,” von der Leyen stated. She added, “It should be crystal clear that in the EU, all online platforms including TikTok must be held accountable.” Georgescu’s election campaign was primarily focused on TikTok, and while Moscow has denied interference, Romanian intelligence reported that Russia had identified the NATO member state as an enemy nation and a priority target. TikTok content promoting the candidate was not labeled as election material, which is illegal in Romania. One account spent $381,000 (£300,000) on posts for Georgescu, who denied personally spending any money on the platform. TikTok has vehemently denied the allegations, insisting “it is categorically false to claim [Georgescu’s] account was treated differently to any other candidate”. Although the platform permits organic posting and sharing of election content, paid political advertising is prohibited. Following the cancellation of the run-off vote, TikTok stated that “when Romanian authorities contacted us to flag a number of videos that lacked identifiers… we took action on those videos within 24 hours”. A portion of the EU investigation will examine the risks associated with the “automated exploitation” of TikTok’s algorithm, which delivers personalized content to a user’s “For You” page based on their interests and interaction with the application. The inquiry will also evaluate TikTok’s policies concerning political advertisements. On 5 December, the EU instructed TikTok to preserve internal documents detailing its content recommendation methods for users and any strategies it employed to mitigate “intentional manipulation” of its platform. This directive covers content related to any national elections in the EU between 24 November 2024 and 31 March 2025, specifically including Romania, Ireland, and Croatia. The EU declared its intention to conduct this investigation “as a matter of priority.” This inquiry is proceeding concurrently with a separate investigation into TikTok’s potential breach of the DSA regarding harmful content and the protection of minors. After the first round of the Romanian presidential vote, Romanian intelligence indicated that Georgescu’s sudden increase in popularity was due to a “highly organised” and “guerrilla” social media campaign, originating from accounts sending identical messages. Before the run-off round was canceled, he was closely matched with reformist candidate Elena Lasconi. Georgescu had campaigned for an end to political and military aid to Ukraine. He is identified as a conspiracy theorist who discredits the moon landings and the Covid-19 pandemic.