The results of the November presidential vote were nullified due to efforts to manipulate votes through social media.
ADVERTISEMENTSeveral online platforms, including TikTok, Meta, Google, and X, will participate in a stress test scheduled by Ancom, the Romanian communications regulator. This test is aimed at assessing the parties involved in the electoral process and addressing any potential online challenges during the upcoming presidential election on May 4, following the nullification of the November vote due to allegations of intervention through social media.
Representatives from the European Commission, national authorities, and civil society organizations have also been invited to the test. The European Commission has confirmed its participation.
This stress test is organized by the national regulator to verify compliance of the platforms with the Digital Services Act (DSA) before the vote, which was not conducted prior to the initial November election.
According to the DSA, platforms with over 45 million active users in the EU are obligated to mitigate risks related to electoral processes while safeguarding fundamental rights and freedom of expression.
Romania’s election came under intense scrutiny after the first round was invalidated based on intelligence reports suggesting Russian involvement in voter manipulation through social media, supporting then-candidate Călin Georgescu.
Due to Georgescu’s popularity on TikTok, the Commission initiated an investigation into the platform’s role during the campaign, to determine if it had breached the DSA in terms of risk assessment and election integrity. The investigation’s outcome remains pending.
The Romanian authorities have banned Georgescu from running due to his non-compliance with election rules.
Last week, on March 3rd, the platforms engaged in a roundtable to discuss the application of the DSA in the context of the presidential elections.
