Czech Authorities Uncover Pro-Russian TikTok Accounts Ahead of Elections
Czech authorities have identified and opened an investigation into a network of nearly 300 bot accounts on TikTok that are amplifying pro-Russian narratives and campaigning for anti-system parties – chiefly SPD, Stačilo! and PRO, Deník N reported, citing government sources. According to the Center for the Study of Online Risks, several “content creators” sit at the core of the network, with videos drawing up to 250,000 views. Around them, hundreds of accounts automatically liked and reposted content to trick TikTok’s algorithm into deeming the clips “popular” and pushing them to real users. The coordinated campaign’s total reach is estimated at 800,000 to 1.3 million views. The accounts posted videos against the EU and NATO, as well as clips featuring politicians from Stačilo! (“Enough!” – a left-wing coalition led by the Communists), SPD (“Freedom and Direct Democracy” – a far-right party) and PRO (“Right, Respect, Professionalism” – a right-populist movement). Among those featured: Stačilo! leader Kateřina Konečná, former foreign minister Lubomír Zaorálek, SPD figures Radim Fiala, Tomio Okamura and economist Miroslav Ševčík, and PRO leader Jindřich Rajchl. The fast-rising popularity of videos by former politician Miroslav Sládek, who is running with the alliance Česká republika na 1. místě! (“Czech Republic First!”),...
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