Brie Pegum, TikTok’s global head of product, appeared before the European Parliament, where she faced intense questioning regarding allegations that the platform’s algorithms unfairly amplified Georgescu’s candidacy. Georgescu, who secured over 20% of the vote, advanced to a runoff against liberal candidate Elena Lasconi. Critics argue that TikTok’s content moderation and algorithmic decisions may have played a role in his surprising success.
TikTok confirmed that it had removed accounts violating its rules against unmarked political advertising. These accounts promoted Georgescu and Mircea Geoană, a former NATO deputy chief, who garnered 6% of the vote. In the lead-up to the election, TikTok also deleted 66,000 fake accounts, 10 million fake followers, and an account tied to the far-right AUR party. Despite these measures, Georgescu’s content went viral on the platform, significantly boosting his visibility.
The Romanian Constitutional Court ordered a recount due to concerns over potential foreign interference, particularly from Russia. However, the recount revealed no significant discrepancies, and the court certified the results. The episode has drawn sharp criticism from European lawmakers, with some accusing TikTok of failing to adequately monitor its platform during the election. Dirk Gotink, an MEP from the European People’s Party, likened TikTok’s response to a “fire brigade” that allowed a blaze to rage unchecked before addressing the damage.
Caroline Greer, TikTok’s director of public policy, defended the platform’s actions, citing its team of 6,000 content moderators across Europe, including 95 Romanian speakers, and partnerships with fact-checking organizations. However, MEPs questioned the effectiveness of these measures, citing concerns over transparency and accountability.
The European Commission has launched an investigation to determine whether TikTok breached the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires platforms to prevent the misuse of their services in political processes. If found in violation, TikTok could face fines of up to 6% of its global turnover, which totaled $110 billion in 2023. The inquiry underscores growing European scrutiny of tech platforms’ roles in democratic elections.
Russia and China have now perfected a multi-faceted program of rigging elections worldwide, installing candidates that are either committed to ripping apart their own governments or aligning with the interests of the coalition of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea while western governments havent even gotten around to banning these platforms. Similar campaigns are occurring on Elon Musk’s X platform, all aligned with the goals are dismantling western civilization.
