Latest news with #Romanian-language
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First Post
20-05-2025
- Business
- First Post
France bars Telegram founder Pavel Durov from visiting US for a business trip
Russian-born Durov is currently under judicial supervision in France, holed up in Paris' glitzy Crillon hotel after being placed under formal investigation for alleged organized crime on Telegram. read more French authorities have refused to grant Telegram founder Pavel Durov permission to travel to the United States for meetings with potential investors, citing a lack of justification for the trip. The Paris prosecutor's office said the decision was made on May 12, stating that Durov's request to travel 'did not appear imperative or justified', as reported by POLITICO. The denial comes amid ongoing legal proceedings against the tech entrepreneur. Durov, a dual citizen of France and the United Arab Emirates, has been under judicial supervision in France since his arrest at a French airport in August 2024. He was formally indicted in September on six charges linked to illegal activity conducted via Telegram, the encrypted messaging platform he operates. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Durov must seek official approval for any international travel as part of his bail conditions. He was previously authorised to visit Dubai between March 15 and April 7. His legal team in France did not immediately respond to media queries, and his U.S. spokesperson has also remained silent on the matter. Durov's relationship with French authorities has grown increasingly strained in recent months. On the day of Romania's presidential election runoff, he accused the French government — including Nicolas Lerner, head of the country's foreign intelligence service — of pressuring him to silence conservative voices on Telegram ahead of the vote. French officials swiftly and strongly rejected the accusation. The Telegram founder's restricted mobility and deepening clash with Paris come at a time when his platform faces mounting scrutiny over its role in facilitating unmoderated content and encrypted communications. The arrest of Durov last year ignited a debate about free speech online. Musk, who criticized the arrest of Durov, is also being probed by French prosecutors over alleged algorithmic bias on X. Musk has used X to personally support right-wing parties and causes in countries including Germany and Britain, leading to concerns about undue foreign interference. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Earlier this month, OpenMinds, a tech company focused on countering authoritarian influence, said it found that 24% of Romanian-language Telegram channels were spreading what it called Kremlin-backed disinformation. Telegram said at the time users receive only the content they explicitly subscribe to.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Romania braces for wave of disinformation ahead of election second round
By Elizaveta Gladun, Małgorzata Wojtunik, Luiza Ilie and Krisztina Fenyo BUCHAREST (Reuters) -Romania faces a wave of online disinformation ahead of a presidential election runoff this month in which the hard-right looks poised for victory, election observers and analysts say. Hard-right eurosceptic George Simion secured 41% of the vote in Sunday's first round, just five months after another far-right candidate, Calin Georgescu, unexpectedly came first in a ballot that was later annulled due to suspicions of Russian meddling. Simion will now face Bucharest mayor, Nicusor Dan, an independent centrist, in a May 18 run-off in the European Union and NATO member state. Moscow has denied that it was behind a surge in activity on TikTok and other social media platforms late last year favourable to Georgescu. On Monday the Kremlin said he had been arbitrarily thrown out of the race. The Romanian authorities and TikTok both say they have put measures in place to counter disinformation online. However, the European Commission has opened formal proceedings against TikTok over its suspected failure to limit interference in last November's vote. Sorin Ionita, a political analyst, noted the prevalence of inauthentic social media networks backing political parties, which is reminiscent of the situation before the canceled election when TikTok accounts surged. "These are bots definitely," he said of non-political dormant accounts that appear to belong to a lady with a nail salon, or someone who comments on football or cars, and which suddenly begin to post political content and get thousands of views. OpenMinds, a tech company focused on countering authoritarian influence, said its investigation found that 24% of Romanian-language Telegram channels are spreading what it called Kremlin-backed disinformation. The report said one in four messages on these channels promotes material from Russian state media and other pro-Kremlin sources. Since early 2022, 48 Telegram channels have posted over 4,000 entries aimed at undermining trust in democratic institutions and fueling conspiracy theories, including claims of a "coup" following the cancellation of the 2024 election, OpenMinds told Reuters. Telegram said it was not "an effective platform for the spread of misinformation because it does not use algorithms to promote sensational content," adding users receive only the content they explicitly subscribe to. The 38-year-old Simion's TikTok films combine nationalist rhetoric with an emotionally charged delivery and often use direct-to-camera speeches, footage from political gatherings and behind-the-scenes clips to hone a sense of personal connection. It is a recipe perfected by Georgescu and other political parties are copying this style, Ionita said. REAL ANGER Ionita added that much of the suspicious content on online accounts reflected real anger in society. "They probably amplify the noise, but the noise is mostly generated internally," he said. Benefiting from a wave of popular frustration against mainstream leaders, Simion opposes military aid to neighbouring Ukraine, is critical of the EU leadership and says he is aligned with the U.S. president's Make America Great Again movement. While the interior ministry said on Monday that it had not observed any significant irregularities during the voting process, it said it remains vigilant. James E. Trainor III, Commissioner of the U.S. Federal Election Commission which is observing the Romanian election, told Reuters in Bucharest that authorities had to "walk a very fine line" when regulating social media so as not to curtail people's ability to communicate. "The best way for this process is to do exactly what (Romanian election authorities) are doing, and that is to talk directly to the people that run those sites," he said.
Straits Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Romania braces for wave of disinformation ahead of election second round
A woman looks at a newspaper she bought at a newsstand, following the the first round of the presidential election, in Bucharest, Romania, May 5, 2025. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki BUCHAREST - Romania faces a wave of online disinformation ahead of a presidential election runoff this month in which the hard-right looks poised for victory, election observers and analysts say. Hard-right eurosceptic George Simion secured 41% of the vote in Sunday's first round, just five months after another far-right candidate, Calin Georgescu, unexpectedly came first in a ballot that was later annulled due to suspicions of Russian meddling. Simion will now face Bucharest mayor, Nicusor Dan, an independent centrist, in a May 18 run-off in the European Union and NATO member state. Moscow has denied that it was behind a surge in activity on TikTok and other social media platforms late last year favourable to Georgescu. On Monday the Kremlin said he had been arbitrarily thrown out of the race. The Romanian authorities and TikTok both say they have put measures in place to counter disinformation online. However, the European Commission has opened formal proceedings against TikTok over its suspected failure to limit interference in last November's vote. Sorin Ionita, a political analyst, noted the prevalence of inauthentic social media networks backing political parties, which is reminiscent of the situation before the canceled election when TikTok accounts surged. "These are bots definitely," he said of non-political dormant accounts that appear to belong to a lady with a nail salon, or someone who comments on football or cars, and which suddenly begin to post political content and get thousands of views. OpenMinds, a tech company focused on countering authoritarian influence, said its investigation found that 24% of Romanian-language Telegram channels are spreading what it called Kremlin-backed disinformation. The report said one in four messages on these channels promotes material from Russian state media and other pro-Kremlin sources. Since early 2022, 48 Telegram channels have posted over 4,000 entries aimed at undermining trust in democratic institutions and fueling conspiracy theories, including claims of a "coup" following the cancellation of the 2024 election, OpenMinds told Reuters. Telegram did not reply immediately to Reuters' request for comment. It says online that it believes the most effective way to combat misinformation "is to give readers the tools and information to scrutinize the media they consume." The 38-year-old Simion's TikTok films combine nationalist rhetoric with an emotionally charged delivery and often use direct-to-camera speeches, footage from political gatherings and behind-the-scenes clips to hone a sense of personal connection. It is a recipe perfected by Georgescu and other political parties are copying this style, Ionita said. REAL ANGER Ionita added that much of the suspicious content on online accounts reflected real anger in society. "They probably amplify the noise, but the noise is mostly generated internally," he said. Benefiting from a wave of popular frustration against mainstream leaders, Simion opposes military aid to neighbouring Ukraine, is critical of the EU leadership and says he is aligned with the U.S. president's Make America Great Again movement. While the interior ministry said on Monday that it had not observed any significant irregularities during the voting process, it said it remains vigilant. James E. Trainor III, Commissioner of the U.S. Federal Election Commission which is observing the Romanian election, told Reuters in Bucharest that authorities had to "walk a very fine line" when regulating social media so as not to curtail people's ability to communicate. "The best way for this process is to do exactly what (Romanian election authorities) are doing, and that is to talk directly to the people that run those sites," he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Romania braces for wave of disinformation ahead of election second round
Summary Companies Analysts say disinformation threat persists in Romania 2024 president vote cancelled on suspicion of Russian meddling Hard-right candidate Simion is frontrunner in election re-run To face centrist mayor in May 18 run-off vote BUCHAREST, May 5 (Reuters) - Romania faces a wave of online disinformation ahead of a presidential election runoff this month in which the hard-right looks poised for victory, election observers and analysts say. Hard-right eurosceptic George Simion secured 41% of the vote in Sunday's first round, just five months after another far-right candidate, Calin Georgescu, unexpectedly came first in a ballot that was later annulled due to suspicions of Russian meddling. Simion will now face Bucharest mayor, Nicusor Dan, an independent centrist, in a May 18 run-off in the European Union and NATO member state. Moscow has denied that it was behind a surge in activity on TikTok and other social media platforms late last year favourable to Georgescu. On Monday the Kremlin said he had been arbitrarily thrown out of the race. The Romanian authorities and TikTok both say they have put measures in place to counter disinformation online. However, the European Commission has opened formal proceedings against TikTok over its suspected failure to limit interference in last November's vote. Sorin Ionita, a political analyst, noted the prevalence of inauthentic social media networks backing political parties, which is reminiscent of the situation before the canceled election when TikTok accounts surged. "These are bots definitely," he said of non-political dormant accounts that appear to belong to a lady with a nail salon, or someone who comments on football or cars, and which suddenly begin to post political content and get thousands of views. OpenMinds, a tech company focused on countering authoritarian influence, said its investigation found that 24% of Romanian-language Telegram channels are spreading what it called Kremlin-backed disinformation. The report said one in four messages on these channels promotes material from Russian state media and other pro-Kremlin sources. Since early 2022, 48 Telegram channels have posted over 4,000 entries aimed at undermining trust in democratic institutions and fueling conspiracy theories, including claims of a "coup" following the cancellation of the 2024 election, OpenMinds told Reuters. Telegram did not reply immediately to Reuters' request for comment. It says online that it believes the most effective way to combat misinformation "is to give readers the tools and information to scrutinize the media they consume." The 38-year-old Simion's TikTok films combine nationalist rhetoric with an emotionally charged delivery and often use direct-to-camera speeches, footage from political gatherings and behind-the-scenes clips to hone a sense of personal connection. It is a recipe perfected by Georgescu and other political parties are copying this style, Ionita said. REAL ANGER Ionita added that much of the suspicious content on online accounts reflected real anger in society. "They probably amplify the noise, but the noise is mostly generated internally," he said. Benefiting from a wave of popular frustration against mainstream leaders, Simion opposes military aid to neighbouring Ukraine, is critical of the EU leadership and says he is aligned with the U.S. president's Make America Great Again movement. While the interior ministry said on Monday that it had not observed any significant irregularities during the voting process, it said it remains vigilant. James E. Trainor III, Commissioner of the U.S. Federal Election Commission which is observing the Romanian election, told Reuters in Bucharest that authorities had to "walk a very fine line" when regulating social media so as not to curtail people's ability to communicate. "The best way for this process is to do exactly what (Romanian election authorities) are doing, and that is to talk directly to the people that run those sites," he said.
