TikTok shuts some accounts over Czech election meddling

PRAGUE — Chinese-owned video sharing platform TikTok removed scores of accounts reported for attempting to interfere with Czech parliamentary elections taking place Friday and Saturday.

Researchers flagged hundreds of accounts on TikTok as displaying inauthentic behavior and the platform removed dozens, the Czech Telecommunication Office told POLITICO.

The Czech election campaign has been plagued by fake news and propaganda, with tactics ranging from disinformation websites that translate content directly from sanctioned Russian sources to bots impersonating candidates on social media.

Local research network Online Risk Labs said it has found 286 accounts on TikTok with “a cumulative reach of 5 to 9 million views per week,” exceeding that of many political party leaders, which look to boost extremist parties like the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) or far-left Enough! (Stačilo!).

Both of these parties could, for the first time since the fall of communism in 1989, end up directly in government — or providing support to Andrej Babiš’s right-wing populist ANO party, which is leading in the polls.

“The content includes, for example, glorification of Vladimir Putin, disinformation and narratives legitimizing Russian aggression in Ukraine, as well as demonstrations of the Russian army’s strength,” Online Risk Labs said.

As of Aug. 1, TikTok has proactively removed 98.5 percent of content breaking its rules on election integrity, misinformation and AI-generated content, as well as 46 accounts impersonating officials, the platform told POLITICO about the Czech elections.

“We have proactively implemented additional safety and security measures ahead of the elections in Czechia, including an in-app Election Center to provide access to authoritative information about the vote,” TikTok said.

Around 2.5 million people use TikTok in Czechia, a far smaller proportion than in Romania, where last year’s presidential elections were annulled after ultranationalist, NATO-skeptical candidate Călin Georgescu came out of nowhere to win the vote boosted by content on TikTok.

The European Commission participated in a roundtable with tech giants Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok and X, organized by the Czech telecoms office on Aug. 29, spokesperson Thomas Regnier said.

The platforms “declared their readiness to respond to potential incidents,” the Czech telcomms office said, but pointed to the Commission’s responsibility over systemic risks.