Because of him, Romania's course risks changing dramatically.Image: trapezoid
Romania discovered “various violations” on Chinese social media platforms. It is now time for the EU to investigate these incidents – a delicate task.
What impact does Chinese social media platform TikTok have on democratic elections?
This question concerns Europe.
The trigger was the Romanian presidential election. It will become clear on December 8 whether Russian-sponsored ultranationalists will come to power there.
This is of great strategic importance for a country located on the eastern edge of the EU, bordering Ukraine and a member of NATO.
what happened?
On Tuesday, Romania's national media regulator asked the European Union for help. There are suspicions that TikTok contributed significantly to election manipulation.
A spokesman for the European Commission confirmed that it had received a request to “launch a formal investigation into TikTok's role in Romania's elections.” The legal basis for doing this is: Digital Services Act (DSA) European Union. A law specifically aimed at cracking down on the dominance of big tech companies and social media platforms.
The victory of the ultra-nationalist, pro-Russian candidate Karin Georgescu “Politico” pointed out that the first round of negotiations had an impact on the political development of EU and NATO countries. Many concerns surround how TikTok campaigns could be used to “lift an unknown candidate out of irrelevance.”
Călin Georgescu has become an unexpected right-wing extremist TikTok star.Image: trapezoid
die French European politician Valerie HayeLeaders of the liberal Renew Europe group said they called on TikTok's CEO to appear before the EU parliament and ensure his platform does not violate European law.
“Romania is a warning sign: radicalization and disinformation can occur across Europe, with devastating consequences.”
Valerie Hale
this Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday that funding for Georgescu's TikTok campaign needed to be reviewed.
The Romanian regulator stressed that these issues had been brought to the attention of the European Commission “in recent months”.
TikTok was informed of “various violations related to the illegal distribution of content” and asked the platform to take steps to ensure the election was held “under lawful conditions.” However, TikTok did not respond appropriately.
EU in trouble
“Politico” stated that the Romanian case has put the European Commission in a dilemma. This is because an investigation into what happened could be seen as interference in national elections. At worst, Georgescu benefited inadvertently.
A TikTok spokesman in Brussels denied manipulation accusations and addressed highly speculative reports about Romania's elections. Such reports are “inaccurate and misleading.” Later, a spokesperson for the Chinese social media platform quoted directly from the PR playbook:
“We do not accept paid political advertising and ask everyone to abide by our community guidelines that we continually enforce.”
TikTok-Sprecher Paolo Ganino
What’s the truth about the allegations against TikTok?
To date, there is no evidence that Russia or other state actors were involved in using TikTok to manipulate Romania’s elections.
But that doesn't mean anything. Russia has supported and funded nationalist and right-wing extremist parties in many European countries and sought to undermine democratic structures.
Politico quoted the researcher as saying that although TikTok's terms and conditions do not allow paid political advertising, this rule was “largely ineffective” in Romania's recent elections. Keith Kiely, coordinator of the Bulgarian-Romanian Digital Media Observatory. He also spoke of the “significant impact” of Chinese social media platforms on the election.
Romania's prime minister has called for a review of funding for Georgescu's campaign on TikTok. It was a “system” that he didn't know was legal. He believes that the source of funds must be traced. In English: “Follow the money.”
What role do influencers play?
His rise in popularity appears to be sudden and artificial, according to analysis by EFOR (Experts Forum), a Romanian NGO dedicated to democracy and the fight against corruption and disinformation.
EFOR experts write that Georgescu's strong support for TikTok can be traced to a coordinated network of direct advertising material, as well as a group of influencers who indirectly promoted the politician without being labeled in any way as paid advertising.
In terms of advertising strategy, Georgescu’s undisputed false claims on the TV show were turned into viral videos on TikTok. Overall, it’s worth noting that right-wing extremist candidates are clearly taking full advantage of TikTok’s “viral algorithm.”
Notably, Georgescu also appears on other social media platforms with the help of third parties. Numerous (anonymous) Instagram and X profiles and Facebook groups were created to support his political activities.
There's a reason for Georgescu's rise Marius Ghincea, political scientist at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. He told Politico that the extremists' success was due to voters' disillusionment with the two mainstream parties. They have formed a grand coalition government since 2021 and are considered “incompetent”.
What's at stake in the presidential election?
In Romania, the president has broad powers. He determines the foreign and defense policies of the country of 19 million inhabitants and is involved in controlling the secret service.
Politico pointed out that Romania has so far supported Western support for Ukraine and opened the port of Constanta as an important channel for Ukrainian food exports and military supplies imports.
Russia's aggressive war against its neighbors has also increased the strategic importance of Romania's Mikhail Kotyniceanu air base on the Black Sea – it is becoming NATO's largest base.
However, that could all change if Georgescu wins the December 8 election and takes the helm.
investigation
At the same time, an unforgettable political duel resurfaced in Romania: a social democrat and a right-wing extremist faced off in a runoff in the 2000 presidential election. Democratic parties worked together, with strong support from European allies, to successfully prevent extremists from assuming the highest national offices.
source
Materials using Keystone-SDA
China’s Secret Propaganda Army: Western Influencers
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China’s Secret Propaganda Army: Western Influencers
The Chinese Communist Party, or rather the regime in Beijing, uses foreign influencers to covertly infiltrate mainstream Western media through state propaganda and lie to its own people.
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