Anonymous TikTok accounts backing radical parties before Czech vote, study finds

By Jan Lopatka

PRAGUE (Reuters) -Hundreds of anonymous accounts on video-sharing platform TikTok have been increasingly active in spreading pro-Russia narratives and backing radical parties ahead of the Czech Republic's October 3-4 election, a non-governmental group said on Sunday.

Online Risk Labs, a newly formed group of Czech analysts, said it had identified 286 TikTok accounts that have been boosting each other's content. Between them, they have 5 million to 9 million views per week - more than the combined reach of mainstream party leaders, the group said.

"The accounts do not align with a single political entity, but rather demonstrate support for multiple radical and extremist parties simultaneously," the group said in a statement.

Nearly a quarter of Czechs use TikTok, according to local media reports, a smaller proportion than in Romania, where a presidential election was annulled last year over accusations of Russian meddling via accounts on the platform. Russia denied the allegations.

Czech telecoms watchdog CTU said it had received several complaints about hundreds of accounts on TikTok.

"We have found these suggestions relevant and handed them over to the European Commission as the supervisory organ for large platforms," the CTU told Reuters, adding that it was in contact with TikTok.

TikTok and the Czech Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The TikTok accounts flagged by Online Risk Labs voiced support for parties including the far-right SPD, running third in most opinion polls with about 13% support, and far-left Stacilo!, polling slightly above the 5% threshold to win seats, the group said. Both parties say the country should leave NATO and the European Union.

Online Risk Labs said candidates promoted in the posts were not necessarily aware of them.

The latest polls ahead of the parliamentary election show the opposition ANO party of former Prime Minister Andrej Babis leading by a wide margin over Prime Minister Petr Fiala's SPOLU centre-right coalition. ANO might need the support of SPD and Stacilo! to form a majority.

(Reporting by Jan Lopatka;Editing by Helen Popper)