EU demands 'urgent' response from TikTok for possible foreign interference in Romanian elections

The European Commission has sent TikTok an "urgent" request for information seeking more answers about the platform's increasingly controversial role in the first round of Romania's presidential election, which saw the surprise victory of Calin Georgescu and prompted serious concerns about foreign interference.

Georgescu, an independent candidate who has embraced Eurosceptic, Russia-friendly views, will face Elena Lasconi, a pro-European liberal, in a runoff scheduled for Sunday.

"We are concerned about increasing indications of a coordinated foreign online influence operation targeting the ongoing Romanian elections, particularly on TikTok," said Henna Virkkunen, the Commission's executive vice-president in charge of digital policy.

It is understood that the request, issued on Friday, is based on the Digital Services Act (DSA) and comes with a deadline of 24 hours.

This marks the second request for information sent to TikTok in the context of the Romanian elections after the first one sent last week. € news, the Telegraph reports.

Brussels wants the company to clarify revelations contained in intelligence documents that Romanian President Klaus Iohannis declassified on Wednesday, which strongly suggested that Georgescu's sudden rise was not "a natural outcome" but the result of artificially coordinated action to manipulate and exploit the TikTok algorithm.

The campaign was likely orchestrated by a "state actor," the documents said.

Although Russia has not been named as the culprit, the agencies found similarities between an online campaign in Romania and an earlier one Moscow had waged in Ukraine.

According to the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), a previously hidden network operating mainly on TikTok, which had been largely "dormant" since its creation in 2016, became very active in the two weeks before the first round of elections.

SRI also reported that nearly one million euros was spent on the campaign by an individual supporting Georgescu's candidacy, with up to 950 euros paid for a repost.

Even TikTok itself admitted that it had received 362,500 euros from this person.

The declassification sent shockwaves through Romania and beyond, fueling fears that the Eastern European country had fallen victim to foreign interference.

TikTok under surveillance

The request for information reportedly follows a "preservation order" that Brussels announced on Thursday, which forces TikTok to "freeze and store" all internal documents and information, including its recommendation system and the promotion of political content.

The order will apply from 24 November 2024 to 31 March 2025 and will cover upcoming elections in Romania, Croatia, Austria, Greece and Germany.

The data held by the warrant could help the Commission open a formal investigation into TikTok's role in the Romanian race. /Telegraph/