Romania’s Online Content Removal Policy: Empowering or Overreaching?

‘EU democracy’ – attempts to ban Romanian frontrunner and pro-peace candidate Călin Georgescu from his country’s elections. 

On March 27, Romania’s National Authority for Administration and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) will conduct a simulation exercise to test a ‘rapid response’ system of information control aimed at swiftly identifying and removing illegal and inauthentic content from social media, particularly in light of the controversies surrounding Romania’s presidential elections. This initiative takes its root from the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), which ironically, was established during the G7 Charlevoix Summit in June 2018, meant to enhance cooperation among nations in addressing ‘crisis’ moments and perceived threats to western democracy.

Ahead of Romania’s new presidential election, the European Commission has launched its ‘RRM’ as a proactive strategy which the EC presents as a means to tackle potential electoral law violations on social media in member states holding elections. In effect, a similar simulation was reportedly held before the February elections in Germany. Coincidentally, a call for proposals to manage the new project described as a “Media Freedom Rapid Response Mechanism” was issued by the European Commission on Oct 24, 2025, under the cross-sectoral strand of the Creative Europe Programme. This CFP was launched to allegedly promote an independent and pluralistic media environment through an independent Europe-wide rapid response mechanism.

Subsequently, the Romanian government is now drafting an emergency ordinance to empower authorities to eliminate illegal (or inconvenient) online content, which they argue is essential for protecting the electoral process. However, some interpret this as a sign of a democratic crisis, with the current administration struggling to maintain power and resorting to emergency measures to suppress opposition and their freedom of speech. Recent polls suggest that Călin Georgescu could win the presidency in a single round, a situation complicated by the exclusion of the right-wing conservative candidate from the May 2025 elections. Other talks about possible corruption surrounding the construction of the multi-billion classified secret service contract for the Realization of the infrastructure of NATO 57th Air Base Mihail Kogălniceanu, located only 30 kilometres from the Black Sea and anticipated to be NATO’s largest base in Europe upon completion.

Hence, it is very possible Georgescu’s stance on NATO could have been seen as a threat to the project by NATO/EU and those who profit from it, but we will continue this investigation in an upcoming report at 21WIRE.

Free speech advocates believe this disturbing government program marks a new Orwellian phase for Europe – with the implementation of realtime censorship of online content across social media platforms.

Following the Romanian constitutional court’s decision to annul Georgescu’s previous electoral victory and prevent his participation in the rescheduled May presidential election, questions arise regarding the state of democracy in Romania and the real motivations behind the RRM simulation exercise.
Are the right-wing conservative voters in Romania about to be completely silenced?

Razvan Diaconu reports for CucursDeGuvernare…

ANCOM to conduct exercise on March 27 removing inauthentic content from social platforms: Overview of the social media ecosystem in Romania

On March 27, Romanian authorities will conduct a simulation exercise of a rapid response mechanism that would allow the fast reporting and removal of illegal and inauthentic content from social platforms in the context of the presidential elections in May, announced ANCOM, [the National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications] of Romania’s President, Valeriu Zgonea.

The mechanism was launched by the European Commission in case electoral law is violated on social media in member states where elections are held. A similar simulation was also carried out before the February elections in Germany.

‘On March 27, we will conduct an exercise in which the relevant authorities of the Romanian state, together with the European Commission and the platforms, will react to such scenarios. There are scenarios, and we are now waiting for our counterparts in Germany to convey to us the lessons learned by them so that we might also be able to discuss with relevant authorities from the Romanian state. (…) The relevant authorities of the Romanian state, platforms, the European Commission, NGOs and the Permanent Electoral Authority, which transmits the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) decisions to major platforms, are involved,’ said Valeriu Zgonea.

Moreover, the Government is working on an emergency ordinance that would provide authorities with more power to remove illegal online content, as a measure to protect the electoral process.

Social media ecosystem in Romania

In January 2025, there were 13 million active social media user identities in Romania, down 2.3% (about 300,000 users) compared to the beginning of last year, according to data issued by Kepios, which nevertheless warns about the accuracy of the data given the difficulties in identifying duplicate/fake accounts.

Regarding user demographics, data published in the ad planning tools of the main social media platforms indicates that, at the beginning of 2025, there were 11.6 million users aged 18 and over using social media in Romania, which represented 75.5% of the total population aged 18 and over.

„To provide additional context, it might be useful to point out that 73% of the entire Romanian internet user base (regardless of age) used at least one social media platform in January 2025,” the company also states.

Over 55% of internet users in Romania can be reached through Facebook ads

Data published by Meta indicates that Facebook had 9.9 million users in Romania at the beginning of 2025.

Metadata indicates that the potential reach of Facebook ads in Romania increased by 850,000 (+9.4%) between January 2024 and January 2025. The same data shows that the number of users marketers were able to reach with Facebook ads in Romania decreased by 350,000 (-3.4%) between October 2024 and January 2025. In January 2025, Facebook advertising reach in Romania was equivalent to 55.6% of the local internet user base (regardless of age).

At the beginning of 2025, Instagram had 5.45 million users in Romania.

TikTok – the second most popular platform in Romania

At the beginning of 2025, TikTok had 8.51 million users aged 18 and over in Romania.

At the beginning of the year, TikTok advertising coverage in Romania was equivalent to 47.7% of the local internet user base, regardless of age.

Data published in TikTok’s ad planning tools shows that the potential reach of TikTok ads in Romania decreased by 462,000* (-5.1%) between the beginning of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. On the other hand, figures indicate that the potential reach of TikTok ads in Romania increased by 402,000 (+5.0%) between October 2024 and January 2025.