Romanian labour minister flags coordinated Facebook misinformation on new public wage law

Romanian labour minister Dragoș Pîslaru said a coordinated misinformation campaign is operating on Facebook to undermine the draft public-sector wage law. He identified about fifty Facebook pages that appear unrelated – covering topics such as family, romance, Romanian traditions, films, music or everyday life – but all share content designed to create panic and outrage about the proposed law.

According to the minister, the pages generate multi‑million‑follower audiences using fake profiles and bot farms, supported by digital infrastructure spanning several countries, including India, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, France, Italy and the United Kingdom. The sites repost official images, create AI‑generated false pictures, and circulate distorted or fabricated information to erode public trust in state institutions and to oppose the wage reform, which aims to reduce inequalities and introduce a more transparent pay system. Pîslaru warned that the operation threatens Romanian democracy and national security and said the matter will be reported to the appropriate authorities.