Strasbourg (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Socialists and Democrats (S&D) condemned foreign interference in Romania’s elections. It urged stronger EU regulation against social media platforms.
The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament has released a press release regarding foreign interference and disinformation in the Romanina election stating, “What happened in Romania’s elections is a wake-up call for all of us!” The Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament strongly condemned the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and non-transparent political advertising during electoral processes through TikTok in Romania.
The group stated that they had led the fight against foreign interference and disinformation, citing their leadership in the negotiations on the Digital Services Act (DSA) as an example. They also highlighted the importance of media literacy and emphasized the responsibility of social media platforms to safeguard electoral integrity and protect youth.
In his remarks, MEP Alex Saliba from S&D, vice-president for Digital Agenda, stated:
“What occurred in Romania has left the nation in one of its major political problems in decades. This is a caution bell for us, as it could occur in any future electoral process if we do not operate quickly against the algorithmic influence.”
MEP Alex Saliba stressed that social media is a strong instrument and Big Tech firms must be held more accountable for their function in spreading disinformation. He emphasised that more and more interference and coordinated disinformation drives are using venues like X or TikTok to initiate fake news and political views that can undermine the very foundations of democracy.
He stated that the ownership of these platforms and their close coordination with political leaders, such as Elon Musk, who publicly supported Donald Trump, raises significant situations regarding the transparency of their political associations. He added that this has devastating consequences on democracies and youth, who typically stay educated through social media platforms.
He urged the new EU Commission to improve vigilance and regulation of digital platforms during critical political affairs while protecting freedom of speech and bypassing censorship. He pointed out that the EU’s code aims to enhance transparency and block the spread of bots and fake accounts. He also noted that Elon Musk’s decision to pull X out of the code in 2023 demonstrated his deliberate complicity in the spread of toxic content.
