Romania’s ruling coalition are proposing restricting access to TikTok after a survey showed a growing reference for the far-right among young people.
TikTok urgently needs to be regulated, especially in this election year, as it has become a platform for extremist messages popular with young people, Rareş Bogdan, a MEP for the Liberal Party.
He wants TikTok to adopt similar rules to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter, suggesting strict vetting and potentially a six months ban on political propaganda.
“If we don’t take extremely serious measures, we might be victims of manipulations”, he said.
A spokesperson for the ruling Social Democratic Party also believes that TikTok should be regulated before the election campaign.
TikTok “will be regulated or closed down,” the Social Democrat said, noting that anti-system or rebellious messages easily resonate with young audiences.
A poll published by media outlet HotNews revealed 15% of young people (aged 18-35) would vote for the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) party in upcoming elections this year.
Senator Nicoleta Pauliuc, however said TikTok should not be regulated, adding there should be a public awareness campaign to inform Romanians about the “extremist danger”.
According to surveys in recent years, TikTok is the main source of information for young people in Romania.
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