ANCOM VP Strikes Back at Elon Musk in Romania's Telecom Clash
Pavel Popescut, the deputy head of Romania’s communications authority, ANCOM, stated in an interview with Politico released on March 24th that their country is engaged in an informational battle against Russia aimed at preventing electoral interference. He clarified this effort should not be misconstrued as censorship, contrary to claims made by several U.S. politicians and personalities such as Elon Musk.
The Politico article dubs Romania "the ground zero in a global battle over online speech regulation" following its Constitutional Court's decision to annul the 2024 presidential elections. This came after pro-Russian ultranationalist Călin Georgescu won the initial round. The same individual continues to be barred from running in the do-over election scheduled for May.
The Court justified its rulings based on report The report from the Romanian Intelligence Service indicated that social media algorithms were altered to favor Georgescu. This led to multiple journalistic and governmental inquiries, revealing substantial funds were funneled into Georgescu’s digital campaigning efforts.
To prevent further manipulations, Romanian institutions, like the National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications of Romania, or ANCOM, have taken a tougher stance on social media platforms.
ANCOM supervises the implementation of the Digital Services Act in Romania, which serves as the EU’s guideline for managing content moderation on platforms such as TikTok and Twitter. The organization's vice president, Pavel Popescu, asserts that they are engaged in a “hybrid warfare” and emphasize their commitment by stating, "We are combating this issue at every level involving all relevant institutions.”
Fighting against perceived external influences from Romania, authorities were taken aback when US officials initiated several critiques concerning freedom of expression. Popescu specifically incurred the displeasure of Elon Musk, the owner of X, after Musk tweeted on March 10 stating, “You can identify the wrongdoers by those calling for censorship,” along with a link to an image featuring Popescu. Additionally, United States Vice President JD Vance targeted Romania in his remarks. February speech In Munich, where he referred to EU regulators as "commissars" for implementing content moderation rules.
If Musk intends to view ANCOM as a threat, he ought to engage directly with Romanian officials, much like how he interacted with Germany's far-right Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) party, according to Popescu. This reference was made in relation to an interview Musk conducted with the Afd’s head on X.
At the same time, Musk's satellite firm Starlink is conducting tests. controversial new applications In Romania, with ANCOM’s authorization, these tests adhere to internationally accepted thresholds for power flux density, following outdated regulations from 25 years ago designed to prevent interference between different spatial entities. These restrictions cap the velocity and geographical reach of satellite internet providers such as Starlink.
Popescu stated that Musk owes them more than just a discussion for the support they provided to him and his companies as a nation.
Starlink service has been approved and accessible in Romania starting from March 2022.
radu@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Frédéric Legrand | Dreamstime.com and Pavel Popescu on Facebook)