TikTok CEO summoned to European Parliament for role in shocking Romanian election – POLITICO

“Romania is a warning bell: Radicalization and disinformation can occur throughout Europe and have harmful consequences,” added Hayer, an ally of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Hayer’s appeal comes just two days after Georgescu’s appeal shock victory. He had no party support and polls failed to measure his popularity; but researchers are now focusing on it. a big TikTok campaign provided leadership in the days leading up to the election.

“We believed that TikTok was being misused and was being misused by him and a group of fake accounts,” said Bogdan Manolea, executive director of the Romanian campaign group Technology and Internet Association.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday that funding for Georgescu’s TikTok campaign should be reviewed. “This is a system, I don’t know how legal it is, I understand how the system is used. In my opinion, the source of funding should also be followed, ‘follow the money’.”

However, at this stage there is no evidence of interference by Russia or other state actors.

Manolea added that TikTok should have seen the “wave of thousands of fake accounts” and that the company should be liable under the DSA.