Recent scrutiny has emerged around Meta’s platforms, Facebook and Instagram, in light of their potential influence on Romania’s presidential election, where far-right candidate Călin Georgescu garnered 23% of the vote. A report revealed 3,640 political ads linked to Georgescu’s party, AUR, breaching electoral laws and spreading misinformation. The Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the election, raising concerns about foreign interference and the role of social media in political manipulation, prompting calls for greater accountability from Meta.
Recent revelations have shed light on TikTok’s involvement in Romania’s recent presidential election, but now, Meta’s platforms—Facebook and Instagram—are under the microscope for their potential sway over public perception. The far-right candidate Călin Georgescu, representing the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), made headlines by securing 23% of the vote, a surprising outcome for many observers. His campaign, which heavily leveraged social media, has raised suspicions of orchestrated influence operations. Notably, on December 6, the Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the election, marking a historic first in the European Union, following reports of foreign interference by the Romanian intelligence services.
Political Ads and Social Media Manipulation
A detailed analysis from the Finnish firm Checkfirst, in collaboration with the NGO ResetTech—which champions fundamental online rights—unveiled a network of Facebook pages affiliated with AUR. These pages were responsible for an astonishing 3,640 political advertisements, collectively reaching an audience of 148 million users. The financial backing for these campaigns ranged between 139,858 and 224,083 euros, with some ads surfacing during the mandated electoral silence period, breaching Romanian laws. Others propagated conspiracy theories and misinformation aimed at ‘eroding trust in institutions,’ with visuals suggesting the Romanian president manipulated other politicians like puppets.
Covert Campaign Strategies Unveiled
The report identified at least 24 Facebook pages, many masquerading as traditional media outlets. Their advertisements consistently depicted Călin Georgescu as a champion of Romanian national interests. Some striking graphics portrayed pro-European candidate Elena Lasconi as a ‘proponent of gay propaganda.’ Additionally, there were personal attacks on her, alleging that her daughter left Romania due to their strained relationship and the country’s economic issues, all based on unverified rumors. Guillaume Kuster, head of Checkfirst, remarked, ‘The prevalence of personal attacks highlights significant moderation challenges on social media,’ emphasizing the troubling reality that individuals can freely disparage their opponents despite existing regulations.
Another notable strategy involved utilizing seemingly unrelated Facebook pages to promote AUR’s agenda. For instance, the children’s furniture store page ‘Natural by Ladybug30′ and the film page ’21 de Rubini’ were highlighted for sharing content favorable to AUR. The report pointed out that ‘This model suggests a coordinated effort or mutual promotion among interconnected pages managed from a single Business Manager account, raising serious questions about Meta’s standards for political advertising approval.’
Identifying the Influencers Behind the Ads
Researchers have traced these political advertisements back to DGIMultimedia Design SRL, a Romanian firm known for custom software solutions. Led by Doina Grosu, who has ties to AUR, this company has been previously linked to influence campaigns, particularly during the 2020 Romanian parliamentary elections. Kuster noted, ‘Many of the websites associated with these pages are not new to us; some have been active since 2020, forming a well-documented network. Overlooking this is a missed opportunity for the platforms.’
While the exact orchestrators behind these operations remain unclear, similar tactics have been observed in Moldova, often attributed to interference from Moscow. This isn’t the first instance where Meta has faced scrutiny regarding the Romanian presidential election. In response to earlier investigations by local media about various sponsored ads, Meta stated they had ‘received no court order or request for removal from the Permanent Electoral Authority of Romania concerning these ads’ and argued that ‘none of the ads disseminated by these pages breached Meta’s advertising standards.’
As of now, Meta has not provided an official response to Checkfirst and ResetTech’s recent findings. Kuster pointed out, ‘For nearly ten years, defamatory narratives have proliferated on Meta’s platforms, undermining election candidates, and researchers have continually alerted them to this issue.’ He added that the annulment of the election by the Romanian Constitutional Court is a pivotal moment, providing tangible cases for the European Commission to assess the role of social media platforms in election manipulation across Europe. ‘Will this set a precedent? That remains to be seen.’