TikTok has reported blocking nearly 100,000 fake accounts and 33,000 spam accounts in Romania in the second half of 2024 as part of efforts to combat fraudulent activity, particularly during the country’s electoral campaign. 

In its latest transparency report, the company acknowledged the scale of online manipulation during the elections, which Romania cited as a reason for cancelling its presidential vote.

The enforcement of platform regulations has continued beyond the elections. Between December 15 and December 30, 2024, TikTok removed 59 real accounts that violated political provisions.

The company said that it has a team of 99 Romanian-speaking moderators, with an additional 120 security, integrity and advertising experts deployed for the May presidential elections.

TikTok identified multiple disinformation networks operating from Romania.

In September 2024, it detected a group of 22 accounts targeting Romanian users with anti-government narratives. In November, it found a network of 78 accounts promoting far-right presidential candidate Călin Georgescu and 12 accounts amplifying content in favour of independent candidate Mircea Geoană. By December, a large-scale operation involving 27,217 accounts was uncovered, linked to a fake engagement provider supporting the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) party and Georgescu. Another network of 68 accounts was traced to Moldova, targeting Romanian diaspora communities.

Beyond Romania, TikTok reported broader efforts to counter covert influence operations across Europe. In September 2024, it took global action against a network linked to Sputnik Media. In November, it removed 11 accounts believed to be associated with Sputnik Media, which were targeting audiences in Romania and Moldova.

TikTok stated that it continues to monitor for recidivism and has published further details on its website regarding its actions against covert influence campaigns.