Calin Georgescu is a little-known, independent, anti-NATO, pro-Russia candidate, who is in a presidential run-off against centrist leader Elena Lasconi. The social media platform TikTok is credited with helping Georgescu to make those unexpected gains - becoming an effective way for the right to spread its message, and sway voter opinion.

European Union regulators have ordered TikTok to retain any information related to Romania’s presidential election.

The European Commission on Thursday said it had stepped up its monitoring of TikTok, after receiving information about possible Russian interference in Romania's presidential election."The order follows information received by the Commission in the context of the ongoing Romanian elections,

TikTok took down several networks that tried to meddle in Romania's elections, executives said Tuesday as they defended the company's election integrity measures to European Union lawmakers. The video-sharing platform is a focus of controversy in the Eastern European country after far-right outsider Calin Georgescu emerged as the frontrunner in the vote,

The European Commission Wednesday issued a retention order to TikTok to preserve data on the Romanian election and for upcoming EU elections amid suspicion of Russian interference in the vote.

The European Commission has mandated TikTok to retain data related to elections in Romania and other EU countries until the end of March 2025. This decision stems from allegations that the platform favored Calin Georgescu,

The European Commission has imposed a requirement on TikTok to retain data related to elections in Romania and other EU countries until the end of March 2025. This decision follows accusations against the platform for allegedly favouring Călin Georgescu,