The Social Democratic Party (SDE) made a proposal to the Political Parties Financing Surveillance Committee (ERJK) at the end of September. They believe that the Estonian Auto Owners' Union's (EAOL) social media posts are prohibited donations. ERJK Deputy Chairman Kaarel Tarand stated that monitoring social media posts is difficult. If a post is a violation, it is hard to assess.
SDE claims that EAOL uses social media for political activity. Members of EAOL's board are running in local elections. EAOL's board chairman Simmo Saar said that the posts are not political advertising. They use public information and quotes. Saar stated that EAOL's posts are popular and only show the policies of the Social Democrats, the Reform Party, and Eesti 200. He believes that EAOL's activities have helped the coalition parties.
Saar accuses ERJK of bias. Social Democrat Hanno Matto, who is running in Viimsi municipality, is a substitute member of ERJK chairman Liisa Oviiri. The EAOL board has seven members who are running on the lists of the Center Party, Isamaa, and the Conservative People's Party.
ERJK meets once a month and discusses complaints after the October elections. Kaarel Tarand emphasized that ERJK monitors party financing. He said it is difficult to say whether an NGO's activities on social media constitute a financial donation. The Political Parties Act was adopted in 2010, but social media was not considered. Tarand mentioned that the Riigikogu discussed amending the Political Parties Act in the spring and is considering lifting the donation ban.
Tarand said that if social media posts are considered donations, they are difficult to assess. He stated that the more technology is used, the harder it is to find a reliable price.