For investigations into possible influence on the Romanian presidential elections, TikTok must retain user data until further notice. The European Commission announced on Thursday that it had issued a so-called retention order. The basis for this is the Digital Services Act, which, among other things, obliges online companies to take action against disinformation.
On Wednesday, Romanian intelligence warned that the country had become the target of an “aggressive Russian hybrid attack.” Right-wing extremist and pro-Russian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu was massively promoted via the short video platform TikTok using coordinated accounts, recommendation algorithms and paid advertisements.
According to his own statements, Georgescu-Roegen did not spend any money on this campaign. The Secret Service also recorded 85,000 hacker attacks related to the election. Access credentials for official Romanian election websites circulating on relevant Russian online forums were apparently also stolen.
Surprising at first
Georgescu-Roegen surprisingly won the first round of presidential elections in the EU and NATO country at the end of November, after previously only polling in single digits. Current polls show he could defeat his centre-right opponent, Elena Lasconi of the centrist party, in the second round by a wide margin.
The US State Department expressed concern about possible foreign influence. Romania’s hard-earned ties with the West should not be jeopardized by foreign actors. This would have negative consequences for security cooperation and foreign investment in the country.
The matter occupied the European Parliament a few days ago, where TikTok managers had to answer questions from MPs.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
