Romania Investigates TikTok's Role in Election Influence

Romanian intelligence reports suggest that Russia influenced the recent presidential election through TikTok, promoting candidate Calin Georgescu, who unexpectedly garnered 23% of the vote in the first round. The European Union has urgently requested additional information from TikTok regarding claims that Russian-backed campaigns recruited influencers to bolster Georgescu's candidacy. Declassified files indicate that around 25,000 TikTok accounts were involved in this campaign, with significant activity observed shortly before the election. Following these allegations, Romania's Constitutional Court annulled the election results, prompting a new election date to be set. TikTok has denied any wrongdoing while cooperating with investigations, as scrutiny of its role in manipulating political events continues amid its legal struggles in the U.S. Overall, the series of events raises questions about social media's impact on democracy and electoral integrity.