Romanian officials will meet Thursday to discuss possible cyber threats to its elections after a far-right pro-Russian candidate took a shock lead in its presidential vote.
Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defence will analyse “possible risks to national security… by state and non-state cyber actors” on the IT and communication infrastructure involved in the electoral process, the country’s presidency said Wednesday.
The move comes days before Romania holds high-stakes parliamentary elections on Sunday, with the presidential run-off to follow on December 8, amid fears they could herald a shift in its foreign policy.
Far-right pro-Russia candidate Calin Georgescu secured a surprise lead in the presidential election — knocking out premier Marcel Ciolacu — with many questioning the role of social media in his shock surge.
Shock first-round victor: pro-Russian Romanian politician Calin Georgescu – Copyright AFP Daniel MIHAILESCU
Barely known outside Romania, Georgescu’s popularity seems to have been boosted by viral TikTok campaigns calling for an end to aid for neighbouring Ukraine and sounding a sceptical note on NATO.
– Viral TikTok videos –
The European Commission on Wednesday confirmed it had received a request from Romania’s media regulator to open “a formal investigation into TikTok’s role in the Romanian elections” under its social media law known as the Digital Services Act (DSA).
As TikTok is considered a “very large online platform” under the DSA, it thus “has the obligation to assess and mitigate systemic risks related to electoral processes, including national elections,” Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said in a statement sent to AFP.
“If the Commission suspects a breach… it can open proceedings to look into TikTok’s compliance with the DSA obligations,” the statement said.
“We are closely monitoring developments,” it added.
Contacted by AFP, TikTok has yet to make a response.
In pole position with almost 23 percent after the first round of voting, Georgescu’s first-round win has rocked the strategically important country which has so far resisted nationalist rhetoric that has gained traction in Hungary and Slovakia.
Several of his TikTok videos have been viewed between two and three million times, with messages like “for Romania, for peace” especially resonating with voters worried about the war in neighbouring Ukraine.
Regnier said the European Commission last month sent TikTok a request for information about measures it has adopted to avoid the manipulation of the service by malicious actors and to mitigate election-related risks.
But he made clear the Commission “does not interfere in national elections and seeks to ensure… a level playing field for all candidates.”
