Disinformation on TikTok: Hundreds of fake news accounts tracked daily by authorities
Law enforcement identified a new disinformation campaign on the TikTok platform. The General Inspectorate of Police (IGP) reports that it detects and documents hundreds of accounts each day that are spreading thousands of videos containing false information. These videos pertain to the parliamentary elections scheduled for September 28 and Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine.
According to the National Police, hundreds of new accounts are created daily on the TikTok platform to “disinform and manipulate society.” Most of the video content being promoted is created with the help of artificial intelligence.
This false information targets state officials and citizens of the Republic of Moldova.
The IGP urges people to demonstrate critical thinking and report instances of fake news.
A monitoring report by Mediacritica.md, conducted between July 1 and 15, revealed that approximately 50 accounts—ranging from politicians and influencers to media sources and anonymous individuals—publish misleading narratives on TikTok daily. Some of this content is discriminatory, anti-Western, or nostalgic about the Soviet past.
In just two weeks, these misleading materials had over 42 million views.
The most frequently promoted narratives on TikTok include claims of alleged fraud in the autumn elections, anti-EU sentiments, and controversial statements regarding the war in Ukraine, including doubts about the support given to Ukraine by NATO and the Republic of Moldova.
IT entrepreneur Artur Gurău told Radio Moldova that the notion that young people are the most active users of TikTok is being dismantled. He notes that the platform is increasingly visited by older individuals.
Gurău advises citizens to pay attention to the credentials and expertise of those sharing information on social networks in order to avoid falling victim to manipulation.
Additionally, a report by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), published in June, highlighted that disinformation was a significant challenge during the 2024 electoral “supercycle,” which saw several dozen elections held globally.
IDEA reported that disinformation narratives were identified in at least 80% of the 54 national elections it monitored last year.
The report emphasized that digital platforms and private messaging applications played a central role in executing malicious actions during the 2024 elections, citing Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and X as notable platforms involved.
