Author: Madalina Voinea
Elections: What happened online, and how can similar disruptions be prevented in the future?
One of the critical questions surrounding Romania’s political, social, and democratic crisis is: what happened on TikTok? Why is it impossible to conduct thorough research, and how we could use the retention order issued by the European Commission requiring TikTok to preserve data related to the Romanian elections?
To address this, we must consider multiple perspectives, beginning with the current challenges researchers face in accessing social media data and the role of regulators, such as the European Commission and national Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs), in enforcing the Digital Services Act (DSA).
This section is an attempt to shed some light into this complicated situation.
In brief, this is what we advocate for and why:
• Enhanced transparency in data access: platforms must provide comprehensive access to data through APIs and other tools. Scrapeable information should be made systematically available to researchers.
•Transparent political content moderation: TikTok’s lack of transparency is particularly concerning. Its Ad Library is dysfunctional, with no clear verification of advertiser identities or spending. This opacity undermines accountability.
• Independent advisory boards for DSCs: national DSCs tasked with implementing the DSA should include advisory boards comprising civil society organizations (CSOs) and private sector experts. These boards would regularly engage with authorities to build capacity in digital regulation, disinformation monitoring, and related fields.
• Public access to retained data: TikTok must make publicly available the data retained under the EU Commission’s order. This should cover not only the post-election period but ideally all of November 2024, if not the entire year.
• Exploratory research beyond APIs: while APIs provide valuable data, they are insufficient for understanding how algorithms influence user experiences and amplify content. Exploratory research into recommender systems, such as TikTok’s “heating system,” where employees manually boost content virality, is crucial for identifying potential manipulation and the mechanisms driving engagement.
2024 Elections: What happened online, and how can similar disruptions be prevented in the future?
