Riots: social networks, amplifying effect in the sights of the government

Rémi Jacob, with AFP 10:55 am, July 03, 2023

Several nights of urban riots relayed en masse on social networks: TikTok, Snapchat and others are in the sights of the government, which denounces "a form of mimicry of violence" and asks platforms "to organize the removal of the most sensitive content".

An interactive map on Snapchat

"Fires and tensions after Nahel's death", #Nahel, #nanterre, #police, #GuerreCivile... The keywords or trends suggested by social network algorithms mostly refer to videos chronicling the outbreak of violence that has affected the France since the death of young Nahel during a police check in Nanterre on Tuesday.

On Snapchat, a popular social network for young people that offers an interactive map to indicate in real time the places where publications are concentrated, videos of damage and clashes with the police have become viral.

>>

Find Philippe Vandel and Culture-Médias every day from 9am to 11am on Europe 1 as well as in replay and podcast here

"On social media, it was looping around saying 'we are uniting to go and attack the police'. It was not as coordinated as they would probably have hoped but it was a reality, "lamented Jean-Marc Luca, departmental director of public security of Essonne.

Emmanuel Macron expects a "spirit of responsibility" from major platforms

Faced with this phenomenon, Emmanuel Macron said Friday expect a "spirit of responsibility" from the major platforms of social networks, where "violent gatherings" are organized and which arouse "also a form of mimicry of violence. It is in this context that a meeting between the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, that of Digital Jean-Noël Barrot and the digital platforms took place last Friday, late afternoon.

"The ministers reminded the platforms of their responsibility for the dissemination of these publications," said a statement from Place Beauvau. And to ask them to "actively engage in urgently removing the messages reported to them and identify the users of social networks who participate in the commission of offenses, and to respond promptly to the requisitions of the administrative and judicial authorities".

For its part, Meta explains that it has "clear policies prohibiting any content that incites hatred and violence on Facebook and Instagram".