In today’s digital age, social media has become an indispensable tool in political campaigns, offering candidates unprecedented opportunities to connect with voters, particularly younger generations. In Romania, this dynamic is evident in the presidential campaign of Călin Georgescu, who has skillfully utilized TikTok to build a massive online presence. Meanwhile, concerns over TikTok’s impact on national security and electoral integrity have prompted figures like Pavel Popescu to call for its suspension. These developments highlight the complex intersection of digital media, politics, and public policy, and raise important questions about how to regulate emerging platforms without compromising fundamental freedoms.

Georgescu’s TikTok Strategy: A Political Game-Changer

Călin Georgescu’s campaign stands out for its innovative use of TikTok, a platform renowned for its ability to amplify viral content. Despite not being affiliated with a formal political party, Georgescu successfully harnessed TikTok’s reach to engage with young voters. By promoting nationalist messages and through viral hashtags like #CălinGeorgescu, his campaign quickly gained momentum. TikTok’s algorithm, designed to prioritize engaging and provocative content, helped these messages reach a wide audience, often appearing prominently in user feeds and search results. The results were striking. Georgescu’s TikTok following grew by 30,000 in just one week, and his campaign launch video amassed over 800,000 views. This demonstrates the power of social media in modern political campaigns, where platforms like TikTok allow candidates to bypass traditional media channels and engage directly with voters. However, this success also brings attention to the darker side of digital campaigning. TikTok’s algorithm, which rewards viral content, can rapidly amplify even controversial or divisive messages. Georgescu’s populist and nationalist rhetoric benefited from this algorithmic boost, but it also raised concerns about the ethics of such campaigning. The spread of unverified information, misinformation, or extreme ideologies without proper fact-checking mechanisms can undermine informed voter decision-making and lead to political polarization.

The Role of Technology in Modern Political Campaigns

Georgescu’s use of TikTok exemplifies the growing power of digital platforms to shape political discourse. Social media allows candidates to bypass traditional media gatekeepers and communicate directly with voters. This has proven to be especially valuable for political outsiders or candidates without strong institutional backing. However, this direct access to voters also raises concerns about accountability and the potential for misinformation to spread unchecked. TikTok’s algorithm, which favors sensational and engaging content, can quickly amplify political messages – whether true or false. The rapid spread of content on such platforms poses a significant challenge for democratic societies, where misinformation can easily gain traction and affect public opinion. For political campaigns, the challenge lies in balancing the extensive reach that platforms like TikTok offer with the ethical responsibility of ensuring the accuracy and truthfulness of the content shared.

Romania’s TikTok Suspension Proposal: Balancing Security and Free Speech

While TikTok has proven to be a powerful tool for political engagement, its role in shaping electoral outcomes has not gone unchallenged. Pavel Popescu, Vice President of Romania’s National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM), has proposed suspending TikTok in Romania due to concerns about its potential influence on the presidential election. He has called for the platform’s suspension until an investigation into its possible role in electoral manipulation is completed. This request has ignited a heated debate about the balance between national security concerns and the protection of free speech. While Popescu’s concerns are valid, particularly considering TikTok’s influence during an election, the proposal to suspend the platform without clear, evidence-based justification raises significant concerns. A blanket ban would disproportionately impact millions of ordinary users who rely on TikTok for personal, purposes. These users should not be penalized for potential misuse of the platform by others, especially when no conclusive evidence of electoral interference has been presented. Moreover, suspending a platform based on allegations, rather than proven wrongdoing, could be seen as a form of censorship. In democratic societies, any decision to ban or suspend a platform should be based on clear, credible evidence and carried out through transparent and legal processes. In the politically charged atmosphere of an election, actions that restrict access to information could be perceived as politically motivated, further complicating the situation.

The Precedent of Banning Platforms

The proposal to suspend TikTok raises broader concerns about the potential precedent it could set.If platforms can be banned based solely on allegations, it could open the door to future censorship of other platforms, eroding the fundamental right to free speech. While combating misinformation is an important goal, such actions must be carefully calibrated to avoid undermining democratic principles. Instead of an outright ban, a more balanced approach would involve targeted actions that focus on addressing specific threats, such as the removal of harmful content, stronger oversight of misinformation, or imposing fines on platforms that fail to adhere to regulatory standards. These measures would be more proportional and align with democratic values, balancing the need to protect electoral integrity with the rights to free expression and access to information.

The European Commission’s Role and Ongoing Investigation

As the debate surrounding #TikTok’s role in Romania’s elections continues, the European Commission has been called upon to investigate the platform’s compliance with the Digital Services Act (#DSA). Romania’s National Audiovisual Council (CNA) has formally requested the Commission to examine TikTok’s transparency, particularly regarding its algorithmic practices and the risks they may pose to democracy. Among the requests are demands for TikTok to publish a detailed assessment of the risks to democratic processes in Romania, and for the European Commission to impose corrective measures or sanctions if violations are found. Given that the European Commission’s investigation is still in progress, it is premature to draw definitive conclusions or take drastic actions, such as suspending the platform or annulment of the election results. Any decisions regarding TikTok’s role in the election should be based on the findings of this ongoing investigation, ensuring that actions taken are grounded in solid evidence and carried out transparently.

Conclusion: The Need for Caution and Balance

The case of Georgescu’s TikTok campaign and Popescu’s call for the platform’s suspension highlights the complex intersection of digital technology, politics, and public policy. Social media platforms like TikTok offer new opportunities for political expression and voter engagement, but they also present significant challenges related to misinformation, manipulation, and the safeguarding of democratic values. Protecting electoral integrity is critical, but any measures that restrict access to digital platforms must be carefully weighed against fundamental rights, such as freedom of speech and the public’s right to information. As social media continues to play an increasingly central role in political campaigns, it is essential that both politicians and regulators collaborate to find solutions that strike a balance between national security concerns and the protection of democratic freedoms. Given the ongoing investigation and the need for clear, evidence-based conclusions, it would be premature to take any definitive action against TikTok or the election results at this stage. Only once a thorough examination is completed should decisions be made about how to proceed, ensuring that any actions taken are justified and transparent.