Romanian intelligence has reported potential Russian interference in the country’s presidential election through the Chinese social media platform TikTok. The incident unfolded as intelligence suggested that Russia coordinated influencers on TikTok to promote a candidate, Călin Georgescu, who unexpectedly became a front-runner during the campaign. The information was made public following the declassification of files earlier this week, according to the Associated Press (AP). The European Union has responded by asking TikTok to provide more details on these allegations, as stated in their urgent request issued on December 6, 2024.

The origins of the incident appear to be linked to a pro-Russian campaign that employed the messaging app Telegram to recruit thousands of TikTok users. Despite the release of intelligence files, it remains unclear whether Georgescu was aware of or involved in this alleged campaign. European Commission officials have sought TikTok’s comments on the files and information on any measures the platform is taking in response. This request follows a previous inquiry when the election’s first round of voting took place on November 24. The situation draws attention amid concerns about TikTok’s legal and regulatory challenges worldwide, including a recent ruling by a U.S. court upholding a law that could result in a

ملخص الأخبار

• الاتحاد الأوروبي طلب من تيك توك الاحتفاظ بجميع الملفات والأدلة المتعلقة بالانتخابات بعد جولة الانتخابات الأولى في رومانيا.
• تيك توك خسر محاولته لإلغاء قانون قد يؤدي لحظر المنصة في الولايات المتحدة.
• محكمة استئناف أميركية أيدت القانون الذي لا يتعارض مع التعديلات الدستورية الأولى والخامسة للولايات المتحدة.
• المنصة قد تواجه حظرًا في الولايات المتحدة بدءًا من 19 يناير 2025 إذا لم تتبع اللوائح.