In a surprising turn of events, TikTok has recently come under scrutiny for its alleged role in promoting a pro-Russian far-right nationalist candidate during Romania’s presidential elections. Brie Pegum, the global head of product at the Chinese social media giant, faced tough questions from the European parliament regarding the platform’s involvement in the electoral process.
Here are some key points from the controversy:
- TikTok has acknowledged removing a “cluster” of accounts that supported the fringe candidate, Călin Georgescu, who unexpectedly emerged as the front-runner in the election.
- Pegum revealed that two groups of accounts backing Georgescu and another candidate violated TikTok’s rules against undisclosed political advertising.
- The platform also removed 66,000 fake accounts and 10 million fake followers ahead of the election in an attempt to maintain transparency.
- Despite suspicions of foul play and foreign interference, a vote recount ordered by the Romanian Constitutional Court showed no significant differences, leading to the certification of the results.
- The European parliament expressed frustration at TikTok’s handling of the situation, criticizing the company’s lack of proactive measures during the election period.
- MEPs raised concerns about the origin of funds used for these political advertisements and called for more transparency from TikTok.
In response to the backlash, TikTok defended its actions by stating that there are no political advertisements on its platform, but acknowledged the presence of accounts engaging in political advertising under the guise of unrelated content. The company assured that it had a robust team of content moderators in Europe, including Romanian speakers, to monitor such activities.
Moving forward, members of the European parliament have pledged to further investigate the matter through written inquiries to ensure accountability. The European Commission has also hinted at the possibility of imposing fines on TikTok if it is found to have violated the EU’s Digital Services Act, potentially amounting to 6% of the company’s global annual turnover.
As technology continues to shape the political landscape, it is crucial for social media platforms like TikTok to uphold transparency and accountability in their operations to prevent any undue influence on democratic processes.
