COUNTERING INFORMATION THREATS OF THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT TO DEMOCRATIC VALUES: THE CASE OF THE 2024 ROMANIA ELECTIONS

Abstract

The study is devoted to determining the specifics of information threats of the digital environment segment to democratic values based on the study of the 2024 Romanian elections. The article focuses on the prerequisites that developed in Romania before the 2024 elections. The study characterizes Georgescu and some other right- wing populists who emphasized inciting hatred in society. The targets for directing the audience’s aggression were Ukraine, due to the state’s support costs; NATO, which was also criticized in favor of pro-Russian narratives; the Soros Foundation due to the spread of American values. The main channel through which Georgescu and his team influenced potential voters was TikTok. The chosen channel, unlike traditional media, did not require Georgescu to follow the rules, for example, to provide reliable information. The digital platform provided Georgescu with the opportunity to unite voters in a community where the level of rationality was falling under the influence of propaganda pressure. During the inaugural campaign, Georgescu used digital technologies to influence the electorate, namely, micro-targeted political messages, astroturfing and shaping speech through viral challenges.Based on a report prepared by the Romanian Intelligence Service, it can be concluded that the TikTok accounts associated with Georgescu’s election campaign were most likely bots. It was determined that on TikTok, anti-system messages in the election campaign were directed at the diaspora, and religious themes were aimed at the elderly. All this may indicate that Georgescu’s election campaign on TikTok was widely manipulated by public opinion and calls into question the transparency and fairness of the elections. Another key finding is the role of social media algorithms in promoting electoral content. Thus, TikTok has become a platform for Georgescu to form a political identity.