Romania's CNA requests EU investigation of TikTok's role in election campaign
Romania's National Audiovisual Council requested the European Commission investigate TikTok for reportedly amplifying electoral content favoring independent presidential candidate Călin Georgescu during the 2024 election. The candidate's poll support rose from 2% to 22%, attributed to coordinated accounts and algorithmic amplification on the platform.
What happened
Romania's National Audiovisual Council (CNA) officially requested the European Commission open an investigation into TikTok on 26 November 2024 regarding the platform's role in the 2024 presidential election.
According to an Expert Forum report, independent candidate Călin Georgescu saw electoral support rise from 2% to 22% in a short period, attributed to a campaign on TikTok involving coordinated accounts that promoted electoral content without proper labelling and artificial amplification of messages through algorithms using dedicated hashtags like #echilibrușiverticalitate that attracted millions of views.
The CNA found TikTok failed to comply with obligations to assess systemic risks under the Digital Services Act, including risks to democratic processes and civic discourse, with TikTok's algorithms amplifying electoral content favourable to one candidate and creating imbalance in electoral competition.
Reported impact
The rapid rise in electoral support for Călin Georgescu from 2% to 22% raised suspicions of manipulation of public opinion through improper use of the TikTok platform and lack of transparency in managing political content.
Index analysis
The CNA identified algorithmic amplification of content favouring a single candidate and failure to transparently manage political content on the platform during Romania's 2024 presidential election campaign.
Governance controls
The CNA requested the European Commission initiate an official investigation into TikTok's compliance with the Digital Services Act provisions, particularly regarding algorithm transparency and systemic risks; request TikTok publish a detailed assessment of democratic risks linked to its activity in Romania; impose corrective measures and sanctions for identified violations; and ensure publication of a report on algorithmic transparency in the context of electoral content during the first round of Romania's 2024 presidential election campaign.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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