TikTok's role questioned in Romania's presidential race shake-up
Cyberattacks in Romania have aimed to influence the presidential elections, as the National Defense Council (CSAT) reported Thursday. One of the candidates received preferential treatment from the social platform TikTok.
28 November 2024 18:31
"One of the candidates in the elections gained high visibility on TikTok due to preferential treatment by this platform, which did not require him to label election-related content," stated the National Defense Council, as quoted by the media.
In the first round of the presidential elections, which took place on Sunday, radical right independent candidate Calin Georgescu took first place. This previously little-known politician quickly gained popularity due to a significant campaign on the TikTok platform.
Elena Lasconi, head of the centrist-right Save Romania Union (USR), came in second. The second round of elections is scheduled for December 8.
A recount of votes has been ordered
Meanwhile, also on Thursday, the Romanian Constitutional Court announced in a communiqué that, after considering a request from one of the candidates, Cristian Terhes, to annul the elections, it instructed the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) to recount the votes cast in the first round. The BEC is to submit the results to the Constitutional Court for verification, with the hearing scheduled for 2 PM (1 PM in Poland) on Friday.
The court also informed that it rejected the request to annul the elections submitted by another candidate, Sebastian Constantin Popescu.
Terhes, a radical right-wing candidate, raised objections regarding the votes cast for Elena Lasconi, leader of the centrist-right Save Romania Union (USR). Popescu's complaint was about voting for Georgescu, including possible violations in his TikTok campaign.
