TikTok AI-generated videos target Romanian diaspora in election influence campaign
Refute, a UK technology firm, discovered over 32,000 AI-generated and inauthentic videos on TikTok targeting Romanian diaspora voters before a May 2025 presidential runoff. The campaign promoted two candidates, with nearly half of the engagement coming from outside Romania, raising concerns about election manipulation.
What happened
Refute, a London-based technology company, identified over 32,000 inauthentic videos on TikTok before Romania's presidential runoff election on May 18, 2025, some created with artificial intelligence.
The videos promoted candidates George Simion and CΔlin Georgescu, with many duplicated across dozens of accounts. Some videos displayed one visual content while including audio promoting the candidates.
Reported impact
Of 40 million likes and comments on the identified videos, 48% came from outside Romania and 15% from the United Kingdom, compared to 24% of Romanian citizens living abroad. Refute stated the disproportionate engagement from diaspora locations could significantly impact Sunday's election results.
Index analysis
The campaign targeted locations with large Romanian expatriate populations across Europe. The coordinated duplication of videos across multiple accounts and the deliberate mismatch between visual and audio content indicated an organized operation.
Governance controls
TikTok announced in late April the launch of a special election center for Romania's elections. The European Commission is investigating TikTok's involvement in Romania's 2024 annulled elections.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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