TikTok CEO could be summoned to EP over influence on Romanian elections

The chair of the liberal political group Renew Europe in the European Parliament, Valerie Hayer, has called on TikTok CEO to report to the European Parliament to answer questions about the social network's role in the Romanian presidential election yeld on Sunday.

That’s according to Politico, Ukrinform reports.

"We call on the CEO of TikTok to come to speak in this house and to ensure his platform conducted to no infringement under the DSA," Hayer said at a press conference on Thursday.

Hayer’s statement came two days after an ultranationalist, pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu, who ran his election campaign almost exclusively on TikTok, won the first round of the presidential election in Romania.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Tuesday said funding for Georgescu’s campaign on TikTok needed to be reviewed. At the same time, researchers believe an “army of fake accounts” was involved to Georgescu’s benefit.

TikTok spokesman Paolo Ganino dismissed as “speculative” the report claiming the platform influenced the results of the first round of the Romanian election.

"These highly speculative reports about the Romanian elections are inaccurate and misleading, as most candidates have established a TikTok presence and the winners campaigned on other digital platforms beyond ours," Ganino said.

In addition, MEPs Dan Nica (Social Democratic Party) and Dan Barna (USR PLUS) called on the European Commission to strictly enforce laws on social media control and investigate who interfered in the presidential election in Romania, writes Romanian Journal.

As Ukrinform reported, on November 26, more than 1,000 young actitivst rallied in Bucharest to protest against far-right nationalist candidate Calin Georgescu, who is leading after the first round of the presidential election in Romania.

Photo: dpa