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French President Emmanuel Macron Suggests Shutting Down Social Media – Watch

French President Emmanuel Macron Suggests Shutting Down Social Media – Watch

French President Emmanuel Macron has floated the idea of shutting down social media access during times of unrest, following the recent riots in France.

Macron made the comments in a speech to mayors on Tuesday, saying that social media platforms are “being used to organize and encourage violence.” He said that the government is “considering all options,” including cutting off access to social media during times of unrest.

“We need to think about how young people use social networks … when things get out of hand, we may have to regulate them or cut them off,” Macron said. “Above all, we shouldn’t do this in the heat of the moment and I’m pleased we didn’t have to.”

“I think it’s a real debate that we need to have in the cold light of day,” he added.

Macron’s comments have been met with mixed reactions. Some people have praised him for taking a tough stance on social media, while others have criticized him for infringing on people’s freedom of expression.

“Cut social media? Like China, Iran, North Korea? Even if it’s a provocation to distract attention, it’s in very bad taste,” said Olivier Marleix, a member of the center-Right Les Républicains.

The leader of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, also slammed Macron’s idea, tweeting, “The country of the rights of man and citizens cannot align itself with those great democracies of China, Russia and Iran.”

Right-wing commentators have been particularly supportive of Macron’s proposal. They argue that social media is a major factor in the rise of political violence and that cutting off access to social media during times of unrest would be a way to prevent violence from escalating.

“Social media is a breeding ground for extremism,” said one right-wing commentator. “It’s where people go to radicalize and plan violence. If Macron wants to prevent more riots, he needs to shut down social media.”

Others have argued that Macron’s proposal is a dangerous precedent. They say that it would give the government too much power to control people’s access to information.

“This is a slippery slope,” said one critic. “If the government can shut down social media during times of unrest, what’s to stop them from shutting it down for other reasons? This is a threat to our freedom of expression.”

France deployed 45,000 police to counter the rioting, but that didn’t stop mobs from setting more than 800 fires throughout the night Saturday, the BBC reported. French businesses have reportedly lost more than $1 billion since the rioting began.

Written by Mark Stevens - July 5, 2023