PRAGUE: Hundreds of anonymous accounts on video-sharing platform TikTok have been spreading pro-Russia narratives and selling radical events forward of the Czech Republic’s Oct 3-4 election, a Czech non-governmental group mentioned on Sunday (Sep 28).
On-line Threat Labs, a newly shaped group of Czech analysts, mentioned it had recognized 286 TikTok accounts that often boosted one another’s content material. Collectively, they drew between 5 million and 9 million weekly views, greater than the mixed attain of mainstream social gathering leaders, the group mentioned.
“The accounts don’t align with a single political entity, however somewhat reveal help for a number of radical and extremist events concurrently,” the group mentioned in a press release.
A QUARTER OF CZECHS USE TIKTOK
Practically 1 / 4 of Czechs use TikTok, in keeping with native media studies, a smaller proportion than in Romania, the place a presidential election was annulled final 12 months over allegations of Russian meddling through the platform. Moscow has denied these accusations.
The Czech telecoms watchdog CTU mentioned it had acquired a number of complaints about TikTok accounts.
“Now we have discovered these recommendations related and handed them over to the European Fee because the supervisory organ for big platforms,” the CTU informed Reuters, including that it was additionally in touch with TikTok.
TikTok and the Czech Inside Ministry didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
