AI-driven disinformation campaign targets pro-European Romanian presidential candidate
Pro-European Romanian presidential candidate Nicușor Dan was targeted by a coordinated disinformation campaign using fabricated documents, doctored videos and AI-generated deepfakes spread across social media platforms ahead of the second round of elections. Analysts attributed the campaign to coordinated actors using bot networks, while TikTok's algorithm reportedly amplified far-right content disproportionately.
What happened
Weeks before the second round of Romania's 2025 presidential election, pro-European candidate Nicușor Dan faced a coordinated disinformation campaign across Facebook, TikTok and X involving fabricated documents, deepfake videos and personal attacks, according to analysts cited by AFP.
Fabricated materials included a falsified secondary school diploma showing Dan as an average student except in mathematics, and an altered video of his remarks to the Romanian diaspora in Madrid, which misrepresented his position on sex education in schools as support for LGBTQ propaganda. AI-generated deepfake videos mocking his speech and appearance were also circulated.
Reported impact
The false diploma forced Dan to publicly display his genuine diploma on television to counter the disinformation. Far-right parliamentary member Gianina Șerbanová shared the altered video on Facebook, accusing Dan of supporting 'perversities' for children, while his second-round opponent George Simion spread personal attacks including unsubstantiated claims about Dan's personal life and disability status.
Index analysis
Roxana Radu, associate professor at Oxford University, described the attacks as systematic and deliberate, bearing the hallmarks of a coordinated campaign using bot networks to amplify the reach of materials spread across multiple platforms.
Research by Global Witness found that TikTok's algorithm served far-right content to new users nearly three times more frequently than other political content in the lead-up to Romania's second round. TikTok disclosed in March that it had removed over 27,000 fake accounts promoting far-right candidates in Romanian presidential elections following a European Commission investigation.
Governance controls
Romanian authorities expressed heightened vigilance following the November 2024 nullified first round election, which featured mass manipulation on TikTok with suspected Russian interference. Facebook and TikTok stated they were in regular contact with the Romanian Government and had deployed teams to ensure election integrity, though the Romanian authorities did not respond to requests for comment at the time of reporting.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.