TikTok’s reckoning in Romania

Summary

POLITICO Tech: TikTok’s Reckoning in Romania

Host: Stephen Overlea
Guest: Peter Hake, Tech Reporter at POLITICO
Release Date: December 5, 2024

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Introduction

In this episode of POLITICO Tech, host Stephen Overlea delves into the unfolding political drama in Romania, spotlighting the pivotal role of TikTok in the recent presidential elections. With the final round of voting imminent, the episode examines how social media, particularly TikTok, is influencing political landscapes and raising concerns about disinformation and electoral integrity.

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The Meteoric Rise of Colin Georgesko

Colin Georgesko, a previously obscure 62-year-old candidate, has surged to prominence in Romania's presidential elections. Known for his far-right stance and nationalist policies, Georgesko's rapid ascent has left both local and international observers intrigued and concerned.

"Up until very recently and just before the Romanian elections, this person was actually little known."
— Peter Hake [02:11]

Georgesko's platform emphasizes self-sufficiency, reducing reliance on multinational corporations, and adopting ultra-nationalist policies reminiscent of movements like Trump's "Make America Great Again." His unexpected victory in the first round, achieving in two months what others did in nearly a year, is largely attributed to his strategic use of TikTok.

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TikTok's Influence in the Romanian Election

With over 8 million Romanian users, TikTok has become a critical platform for political engagement. Georgesko capitalized on this, amassing 120 million views in a mere two months, a feat unmatched by his competitors.

"He really doubled down on [TikTok]. According to Romanian experts, his view count reached 120 million."
— Peter Hake [03:17]

Unlike other candidates who also utilized TikTok, Georgesko's overwhelming presence raises questions about the authenticity and fairness of his engagement on the platform.

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Allegations of Manipulation and Disinformation

Concerns have emerged regarding potential manipulation of TikTok to bolster Georgesko's campaign. Analysts and NGOs point to two primary suspect tactics:

1. Use of Influencers:
   Georgesko allegedly employed influencers to amplify his content, bypassing TikTok's prohibition on political advertising by coupling political messages with non-political content.

2. Fake Accounts and Inauthentic Behavior:
   Reports suggest the creation of fake accounts orchestrated to enforce specific hashtags and messages, thereby manipulating TikTok's algorithm to favor Georgesko's content.

"Behavior like accounts that are set up in batches, fake accounts not belonging to real people, but then are being used to, in a coordinated way to really push certain messages."
— Peter Hake [04:10]

These tactics echo concerns from the 2016 US elections, where Russian interference via social media was prevalent. However, thus far, concrete evidence linking these actions to foreign interference remains unverified.

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TikTok’s Response and EU Scrutiny

In response to the allegations, TikTok has taken steps to address potential abuses on its platform. The company has acknowledged and removed several networks attempting to influence elections, including those linked to Russian state media, Sputnik.

"They have admitted that they have taken down four networks... linked to Russian state media, Sputnik."
— Peter Hake [06:57]

The European Union has intensified its scrutiny of TikTok under the Digital Services Act, questioning the platform's compliance with social media regulations and its ability to safeguard electoral integrity. Brussels is particularly wary of TikTok's recommender system, which could be exploited by malicious actors to influence voter behavior.

"They have sent a set of questions to TikTok about whether it's actually able or to what extent it has upheld the integrity of elections."
— Peter Hake [09:19]

While TikTok denies any wrongdoing, the increased regulatory pressure signifies a broader reckoning for the platform in the political arena.

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Broader Implications for Social Media and Politics

The Romanian election is not an isolated incident but part of a larger pattern where social media platforms like TikTok play significant roles in shaping political outcomes. The decline in public trust towards traditional news sources has made platforms like TikTok fertile ground for political messaging and, potentially, manipulation.

"More people are getting their news and information from TikTok... Influencers have become a key place where people go to for news and information."
— Stephen Overlea [05:20]

This shift underscores the urgent need for robust regulatory frameworks to ensure transparency and fairness in digital political campaigning.

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Looking Ahead: The Final Round of Voting

As Romania prepares for the final round of voting, all eyes remain on TikTok's influence and the integrity of the electoral process. Key questions include whether TikTok's algorithm disproportionately favored Georgesko and how Brussels will respond to the ongoing concerns.

"Is the TikTok algorithm disproportionately favoring one candidate? That's what one of the Romanian regulators has alleged."
— Peter Hake [13:20]

The outcome of this election could set a precedent for how social media platforms are regulated in future elections, not just in Romania but across the European Union and beyond.

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Conclusion

This episode of POLITICO Tech highlights the intricate interplay between technology and politics, using Romania's presidential election as a case study. As TikTok faces heightened scrutiny, the broader implications for digital democracy and platform accountability are profound, signaling a critical juncture in the regulation of social media in the political sphere.

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For more insights and updates on how technology is reshaping politics and policy, subscribe to POLITICO Tech and explore our newsletters, Digital Future Daily and Morning Tech.

Transcript

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[Stephen Overlea]

CD tails. Hey, welcome back to POLITICO Tech. Today's Thursday, December 5th. I'm Stephen Overlea. The U.S. election this fall has been all consuming, so you might forgive me for not paying closer attention to Romanian politics. But the election underway there now has me and every other tech observer dialed in. Romanians head to the polls for a second round of voting on Sunday, and the candidate expected to win is a far right politician named Colin Georgesko, whose skepticism of NATO in support of Russia has some in Europe worried. But perhaps most notable of all, until recently, he wasn't much of a frontrunner at all. Georgesko catapulted himself to the top due in part to his popularity on TikTok, garnering millions of views on videos that regulators and researchers say may have been improperly boosted by fake accounts and paid influencers. The allegations have put TikTok in the hot seat, and European lawmakers are questioning whether the video sharing app has done enough to tamp down on disinformation and secure the election against interference. Tech reporter Peter Hake has been covering this story for Politico. And on the show today, he gives me the download on the drama unfolding from Bucharest to Brussels. Here's our conversation. Peter, welcome back to Politico Tech.

[Peter Hake]

Great to be back.

[Stephen Overlea]

So tell me about Colen Georgesco and the drama in Romania that he's at the center of.

[Peter Hake]

Well, the biggest part of the drama is that up until very recently and just before the Romanian elections, this person was actually little known. He's 62 years old, but he wasn't like a mainstream figure in his country politics. And then out of nowhere, he actually clinched the win in the first round of the Romanian presidential elections with some quite extremist stances. You could liken him a bit to the US Market movement to make America great again movement. He's really focused on putting Romania first and for example, on food policy. He really wants to become more self sufficient, less reliant on outside companies or multinationals. So it's really all about being very nationalist and even ultra nationalist.

[Stephen Overlea]

Got it. And one of the ways that Georgesco has propelled himself to the top of the candidate pool is TikTok. Right. You know, some 8 million Romanians are on TikTok and he's gotten more traction there than his competitors. How is he using the platform and why is that now getting so much scrutiny?

[Peter Hake]

Well, the scrutiny is really about his sudden search. He's really, he kind of exploded onto the platform in the last two months of the election. And so it's not really about him using the platform because all the candidates in the presidential elections actually did, because as you said, TikTok is really big in Romania. Romania has a population of 19 million people and almost 8 million or even more than 8 million use TikTok. So TikTok is kind of a no brainer. But he really doubled down on it. And according to Romanian experts, his view count reached 120 million. He did in two months what other candidates did in like 11 months.

[Stephen Overlea]

And so as you said, all the candidates are on TikTok and trying to reach voters there. Some researchers and NGOs though, have pointed to a couple questionable tactics that they've seen from Georgesco. Right. Can you tell me a bit about that?

[Peter Hake]

Well, the thing is, like, these are not yet proven tactics, but it's suspicions because of course, as said in the last month before the election here, his view count really exploded. And experts have been pointing to two possible tactics that might have been used by Georgescu or by others to boost Georgescu's account. One of them is the use of influencers, because as you know, TikTok prohibits political advertising. But you can of course circumvent that by paying influencers with a large reach to boost the account. And of course, they don't have to label their content as political content. If they are, for example, beauty influencers, then they of course don't have to do that. And then that is a way of boosting the account in a way that is kind of bending TikTok's own rules. And a second tactic that has been looked at is the use of fake accounts, or as it is called in jargon, inauthentic behavior. Behavior like accounts that are set up in batches, fake accounts not belonging to real people, but then are being used to, in a coordinated way to really push certain messages or certain hashtags to really also make sure that the account is picked up by TikTok's algorithm.

[Stephen Overlea]

Got it. And it's interesting. And I'll note, as in the US in Europe and in Romania, more people are getting their news and information from TikTok, including about politics. Right. Public opinion of traditional news organizations there has been on a steep decline. And so in that void, a lot of these influencers have become a key place where people go to for news and information. I've seen it written that dodgesko is a fan of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Obviously, Romania shares a border with Ukraine. How much of this anxiety is fueled by concerns? One, about Russia potentially interfering in elections, but also Russia just gaining a new ally in the European Union.

[Peter Hake]

That's definitely top of mind because of course, in the same region you already have Viktor Orban of Hungary, who's definitely on a collision course with Brussels and more siding with Russia at certain points. In Slovakia, you also have someone who's more of a bit of an authoritarian style. So there is definitely a fear in Brussels that is definitely maybe coloring this debate on maybe losing yet another country in that region to the more pro Russian influence there.

[Stephen Overlea]

I was having flashbacks when I was following the story to the 2016 US election, because back then, Russia obviously used Facebook and some other social media platforms to meddle in the US election through targeted ads and groups and things. It made me wonder, you know, if TikTok is just kind of the new platform of choice for Russian propaganda and disinformation. Do we know to what extent Russia is behind any of this?

[Peter Hake]

There is definitely no evidence for that. TikTok has vehemently denied any allegations about the use of, or the existence of fake accounts on the platform or any kind of COVID influence operations, as they call it. They said that there was no evidence of that, although in a hearing here in the European Parliament, they have admitted that they have taken down four networks, four account networks that were trying to influence the elections. It was four separate points. One in September, two even last week after the first round of the elections, and a separate one that was linked to Russian state media, Sputnik. But that wasn't a Romania specific. That was more a general sweep that they're doing because of course, Sputnik has been banned off the TikTok platform. And sometimes you see just new accounts linked to Sputnik being set up and then they have to be removed again. But that was not Romania specifically.

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[Stephen Overlea]

Well, let's talk a little bit more about TikTok's response here because as you said, on the one hand they've sort of denied any wrongdoing. On the other hand they've said that they've actually now started taking down some of these networks that they've discovered. 2024 has been kind of described to me by some as the TikTok election. Not just in Romania, of course, but in the European Union and the US as well. To what extent is this kind of a moment of reckoning for TikTok?

[Peter Hake]

It's definitely a moment that they have to explain themselves. There were allegations from experts, politicians and even regulators who said that TikTok might be bending the EU social media rules, the Digital Services Act. And so even if there is no evidence yet of for example, fake accounts or paid influencers, there were already requests by Romanian regulators to Brussels to investigate this and to really look TikTok has complied with the EU social media rules and that's something that of course Brussels takes seriously. Brussels is a bit cautious. They don't want to interfere in the elections themselves, but for them it's also money time to show that the EU social media rules really can have an impact and that platforms are abiding by these rules. And so that's what Brussels is at the moment doing. They have sent a set of questions to TikTok about whether it's actually able or to what extent it has uphold the integrity of elections.

[Stephen Overlea]

Do we know if that will actually lead to kind of a formal investigation or is that still to be determined?

[Peter Hake]

It's the first step. So it could be TikTok was actually already under not investigation, but was already being questioned by Brussels about its recommender system because that's actually the thing that is of course now catching most of the attention. Because of course on the for you feed on TikTok you get certain content and of course if you can trick that feat with certain political content, then it becomes the question like if you have Malicious actors, for example, Russia, who can trick the system and who really can weaponize the recommender system. That's, of course, a problem, and that can really threaten democracy in Europe. So that's what the commission was already looking into, this recommender system, and now they have widened that, that questioning to include questions on Romania. They're very cautious about it because, again, they don't want to be seen as interfering with elections, with national elections. But it can definitely lead to further steps. And to be seen, under the EU social media law, there are possibility to fines or even more, but we're still far away from that.

[Stephen Overlea]

Got it. You know, we've seen a rise across other parts of Europe of far right candidates winning in elections or winning more seats in parliaments. Of course, here in the United States, Donald Trump recently won election. Part of me wonders if more moderate and liberal politicians are just kind of looking to shift blame or looking for a way to explain these voting patterns, and they've kind of landed on TikTok.

[Peter Hake]

That's a very good question. And what was interesting is a couple of TikTok executives were in the European Parliament to talk about how they comply and abide with the EU social media rules and how they do content moderation and how they make sure that they, of course, protect elections against foreign interference. And what you noticed is that it wasn't only about EU social media rules that they questioned TikTok. It was also about, do you have ties with Beijing? About possible access to data by the Chinese regime. So suddenly it wasn't only about Romanian elections or content moderation. It was really about much. But what you also noticed is that there were some lawmakers, more from the center right of the far right, who said, like, yeah, are you not just piling pressure on TikTok because this is maybe not the candidate that Brussels wanted. There was one lawmaker who really said that. And that's, of course, a bit of an inconvenient question for Brussels. And that brings us back to the fact that the European Commission is treading very cautiously here because, again, it doesn't want to be seen as okay. We're investigating TikTok because we didn't like the candidate who won the first round of the elections.

[Stephen Overlea]

The final round of voting in Romania's election takes place this weekend. Georgesco is leading in the polls, and he's currently expected to win. I'm curious what you're going to be watching for.

[Peter Hake]

I think everyone will, of course, keep an eye on whatever happens on TikTok, because we've seen that even after the first round of the elections, there are still studies and researchers coming in that really show like, okay, there is another attempt and another attempt and another attempt at influencing this election act. TikTok has actually, actually admitted that and said that even last Friday they took down two networks or that were launched out of Romania targeting Romanian audiences to try to boost certain candidates. And I think the question there is, like, is the TikTok algorithm disproportionately favoring one candidate? Because that's what one of the Romanian regulators has alleged that it said that TikTok disproportionately favored one candidate, or rather that the TikTok algorithm did so. And the question is, like, is that something that we will hear again after the second round? TikTok has said, like, no, we have networks that have been favoring or boosting several candidates. So that's the question that we will keep an eye on.

[Stephen Overlea]

Got it. Well, TikTok in the Romanian hot seat, and we'll see how the election plays out. Peter, I appreciate you being here on Politico Tech.

[Peter Hake]

Thanks for having me.

[Stephen Overlea]

That's all for today's Politico Tech. If you enjoy Politico Tech, be sure to subscribe. And for more tech news, subscribe to our newsletters, Digital Future Daily and Morning Tech. Our managing producer is Annie Reese. Our producer is Afraid Abdullah. I'm Stephen Overlea. See you back here tomorrow.