Romania television watchdog orders removal of materials promoting totalitarian regimes on YouTube, Facebook

During a meeting on Tuesday, December 17, Romania's National Audiovisual Council (CNA) decided to remove materials promoting totalitarian regimes found on YouTube and Facebook, but also TikTok, including posts containing antisemitic content and Legionary symbols.

The posts in question include videos promoting totalitarian regimes, antisemitic content, and images of legionary leader Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, General Ion Antonescu, and other Legionary symbols.

"CNA decided to issue orders to remove illegal content from audiovisual materials that promote totalitarian regimes, identified on the Mișcarea Legionară channel on YouTube (which also contained antisemitic content); and the UnOltean Încăpățânat user profile on Facebook. A series of video posts (eight of them sourced from the TikTok account marian.motocu7) were filmed in a room where, in the background, photographs of Corneliu Zelea Codreanu and Ion Antonescu, as well as the distinctive symbol of the Legionary Movement, are displayed on the wall," according to the official statement.

The authority issued removal orders for this content and referred websites promoting extremist ideologies, including messages glorifying totalitarian regimes, to the National Cybersecurity Directorate (DNSC) for investigation.

This measure is part of a series of CNA actions aimed at combating harmful and illegal content on online platforms, particularly concerning the promotion of extremist and hate ideologies.

Romania’s state institutions have paid more attention to content promoting hatred and totalitarian regimes after the surprising results of the first round of the now-annulled presidential elections, which saw obscure far-right politician Calin Georgescu take first place. The result, according to official investigations, was caused by unregulated online promotions, especially on TikTok.

(Photo source: Michele Ursi | Dreamstime.com)