Romania Announces Re-run of Presidential Election Amid Social Media Crackdown

Romania's government approved a re-run of its presidential election for May, following institutional chaos caused by a controversial candidate's win. Amid concerns over social media's role in the election, new rules have been established to manage campaign materials, focusing on platforms like TikTok.

Romania's coalition government has sanctioned a re-run of the presidential election, to be held on May 4 and May 18, accompanied by stricter campaign regulations for social media giants including TikTok.

This move follows the annulment of the initial election results, which were tainted by suspected Russian meddling and social media manipulation, particularly through TikTok.

The newly issued government decree demands clearer identification of campaign materials and imposes swift takedown deadlines for non-compliant content, sparking criticism from rights groups over lack of public consultation.

(With inputs from agencies.)