EU Orders TikTok To Freeze Romanian Elections Data

PARIS, December 5, 2024 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – The European Union has ordered social media firm TikTok to freeze data linked to the Romanian elections, it said in a statement on Thursday.

EU official issued a “retention order” under the bloc’s wide-sweeping Digital Services Act, which regulates how the world’s biggest social media companies operate in Europe.

The move comes on the same day the United States voiced concerns over potential foreign interference in Romanian’s elections, after pro-Russia ultranationalist Calin Georgescu surged by victory in the first round of the presidential contest on Nov. 24.

Far – right parties also performed well in Romania’s parliamentary election last Sunday, through the ruling lefties Social Democrats emerged as the largest party and hope to cobble together a pro-EU coalition government.

Documents declassified by Romanian security officials on Wednesday showed Georgescu was massively promoted on social media platform TikTok through coordinate accounts, recommendation algorithms and paid promotion. Georgescu himself declared zero funds spend in the campaign.

The document suggested Romania has been the target of “aggressive hybrid Russian attacks”. Russia has denied any interference in Romanian’s election campaigns.

If Georgescu claims victory in this Sunday’s runoff vote, he will try to isolate Romania abroad and reverse its pro-EU approach, analysts and diplomats have said.

A TikTok spokesperson said: “We have already been cooperating with (European Commission and will continue to do so. We look forward to establishing the facts in light of some of the speculation and inaccurate reports we have seen”.