BUCHAREST, Romania — TikTok announced on Tuesday that it had dismantled several networks that attempted to interfere in Romania’s elections, as company executives defended the platform’s measures to ensure electoral integrity to legislators of the European Union.
The video-sharing app has found itself at the center of a heated debate in the Eastern European nation following the rise of Calin Georgescu, a far-right candidate who unexpectedly emerged as a frontrunner in the recent elections. His ascent has ignited considerable unrest amid accusations of electoral malpractice and possible Russian interference.
Brie Pegum, TikTok’s global head of product, authenticity, and transparency, revealed to a committee that two minor networks were identified and disrupted by the platform just days after the initial round of voting. Both networks were targeting Romanian users. One network, which had a modest following of 1,781, endorsed Georgescu, who transitioned from a little-known independent candidate to a significant figure after defeating the sitting prime minister convincingly in the first round of voting. The other network supported various competing candidates, according to Pegum.
Observers suggest that Georgescu’s remarkable electoral success can largely be attributed to his TikTok presence, which boasts 5.8 million likes and 527,000 followers. His popularity surged in the weeks preceding the election, though experts suspect that his online audience may have been artificially inflated, with indications that he received special treatment from TikTok.
This controversy underscores TikTok’s pivotal role in Romania’s electoral landscape, especially as the country, a member of both the EU and NATO, borders conflict-stricken Ukraine.
According to Caroline Greer, TikTok’s top EU lobbyist, the platform employed its “global playbook” for the Romanian elections while also adapting to local dynamics with on-the-ground staff. Greer and Pegum faced intense scrutiny from EU lawmakers regarding TikTok’s involvement in the Romanian elections and its adherence to the Digital Services Act, a comprehensive regulation framework aimed at safeguarding users from illegal or harmful online content.
Greer stated that TikTok had engaged 95 Romanian language content moderators, collaborated with a fact-checking organization, and consulted with political parties along with various authoritative entities, including the electoral office.
However, many lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the executives’ remarks. Dutch MEP Dirk Gotnik stated, “The feeling here is that we are losing patience … and that we need more specific answers.” He criticized the effectiveness of the Romanian content moderators during the elections and likened Pegum and Greer to firefighters called in after a fire has long been raging, suggesting their responses did not convincingly address the ongoing issues.
A report from the Bucharest-based Expert Forum think tank noted that Georgescu’s TikTok account received a staggering 92.8 million views predominantly in the last few months, with a massive increase of 52 million views occurring just a week before the first-round voting.
Another dedicated TikTok account featuring content about Georgescu, which had garnered 1.7 million likes by the end of the first-round polls, was deleted shortly after election day. The account showcased various posts of Georgescu participating in activities such as attending church, practicing judo, jogging, and engaging in podcasts.
In an emailed statement, TikTok revealed that this specific account was among over 150 imitation accounts impersonating Georgescu that had been removed, along with more than 650 additional impersonation accounts tied to other candidates.
Georgescu is now slated to compete against reformist candidate Elena Lasconi from the progressive Save Romania Union party in the upcoming presidential runoff on Sunday.
