Parliamentary elections: Romanian MFA denounces manipulation after deepfake of Minister Țoiu
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning about material posted on social networks that contains statements falsely attributed to Minister Oana Țoiu in Bucharest, regarding the Republic of Moldova.
"In the context of the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova, these materials are a common part of the typical strategies used in hybrid actions within the information landscape. Their purpose is to create ideological tensions and reinforce state propaganda narratives," noted the Romanian Foreign Ministry.
The institution has issued a statement denouncing the false information on social media attributed to the Euronews station. This misinformation allegedly includes statements from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of a neighboring country regarding the Republic of Moldova.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) firmly rejected this false content, as reported by Digi24. The misleading material appears in a video that has been widely shared on various social media platforms. The MFA further clarified:
"The material has characteristics consistent with previous campaigns of foreign information manipulation and interference that have been condemned by Romania and its partners in the EU and NATO. The viral post employs techniques, tactics, and procedures typically associated with state actors to artificially amplify false content on social networks, potentially influencing public opinion. The content specifically targets the information environment of Romania, its partners, and its allies."
Additionally, the Romanian MFA has reported the false content to social media platforms and relevant Romanian authorities. They have also informed the European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) regarding this misinformation.
