Senate proposes to censor social networks within 2 hours in case of violent demonstrations

Reactions did not last long when Emmanuel Macron pointed to the ongoing violent clashes between youth and police on social networks and video games following the murder of 17-year-old Nahel by a police officer. Despite strong opposition, he seems convinced of the government theory.

A new change shared by journalist Laura Kayalı on her Twitter account also coincides with these discourses. Amendment tabled by Senator Patrick Chaize (LR) demands authorization “remove or block access to content within two hours […], open riots, violence against persons in public authority, damage to or trespassing on public buildings or facilities. »

Towards the censorship of social networks during demonstrations?

This change comes after the highly publicized censorship of the Twitter account Cerfia, which has posted multiple videos of the fighting since Nahel’s death, who was called in by the Ministry of Interior. “Calm down a bit” for “to calm the situation” according to Pierre Delcombel, co-founder of the account. This time, Patrick Chaize envisions a hefty penalty if targeted accounts are rejected: one year in prison and a fine of €250.000.

“A tougher response is needed in the face of the passivity of social networks”justifies Senator LR pointing out what he thinks is “power-up effects” Various images and information shared by internet users. This is not the first time such a proposal has been submitted to Parliament. A few years ago, the Avia law had already attempted to censor social networks within 24 hours. However, the Constitutional Council refused to follow up.