France: Did social media provoke violence in France, why did the government warn of action against them?
French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed TikTok, Snapchat and other platforms for inciting the riots.
Time to Read 5 Min
Violent incidents in the country continued for the sixth day after the death of 17-year-old teenager Nile in France. However, the government has claimed that the violence now appears to be on the decline. The Home Ministry said that the police made 78 arrests across the country on Sunday (July 2). Social media companies are under the scanner after the violence that broke out in the country. In fact, French President Emmanuel Macron has accused social media sites of inciting riots.
After all, what are the allegations made by the French government on social media? Why did the government make these allegations? Can the government take action against them? How did social media platforms react? What is the situation in France now? Let us know…
First of all, do you know what has happened in France?
On Tuesday, a traffic policeman shot a teenage Nile in Nanterre, a suburb of the capital Paris, for breaking traffic rules. This was the reason of his death. Niles was shot in the chest from point blank range. At first the police claimed that the juvenile tried to run over the policemen, on which the police opened fire. However, the police claim turned out to be false after the video of the incident surfaced. After this the anger of the people flared up and the country started burning in the fire of violence.
What are the charges against the French government on social media?
Social media companies are once again in controversy after the violent incidents happening in France. French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed TikTok, Snapchat and other platforms for inciting the riots. The president also criticized video games for causing the riots. He said the government would work with social media sites to remove highly sensitive content and identify those users.
Why did the government make allegations of promoting violence?
A French official cited the example of the name and address of the police officer who shot Nile going viral on social media. According to the official, a jail official has also seen his identity card going viral on social media.
The official said talks have begun between the government and social media platforms, including Snapchat and Twitter, with the aim of expediting the process of removing content that incites violence. The French government is also pushing to identify those who are inciting the violence.
The country's Interior Minister Darmanin warned in a meeting with the social network that it cannot allow the channel to be used to incite violence. Darmanin said French authorities would provide as much information as possible to social media companies, in exchange for them identifying those inciting violence.
He said that the authorities will keep an eye on anyone who uses these social networks to incite violence. He also said that if any social networks do not respect the law, the country will take all necessary steps.
Can the government take action against them, what does the law say?
France has a law against cybercrime. Online threats of crimes such as rape and murder, as well as online defamation, can be prosecuted. In 2020, the country's parliament approved a bill that requires social media platforms and search engines to remove prohibited content within 24 hours. A year later a French court convicted 11 of 13 men accused of harassing and threatening a teenager who criticized Islam in a social post.
How did social media platforms react to the allegations?
Social media platforms have also reacted following allegations of promoting violence. Snapchat spokeswoman Rachel Rakussen said that since Tuesday, the day of the incident, it has increased its regulation to detect and act on content related to the riots in France.
"Violence has devastating consequences, and we have zero tolerance for content that promotes or incites hate or violent acts on any part of Snapchat," Rakusen said. We actively regulate this type of content and when we find it, we remove it and take appropriate action.'
What is the situation in France now?
Meanwhile, the government has claimed that violence in France appears to be on the decline nearly a week after Nile's murder. The Home Ministry said police made 78 arrests across the country on Sunday, taking the total to more than 3,000. Hundreds of police and firefighters have been injured in the violence.
On the other hand, President Emmanuel Macron held a special security meeting on Sunday night. He is scheduled to meet with heads of both houses of Parliament on Monday and mayors of 220 violence-hit towns and cities on Tuesday. One official said Macron also wanted to begin an assessment of the causes that led to the unrest. Given the situation in the country, Macron also canceled the first state visit to Germany, which was to start on Sunday evening.
fireworks ban
To prevent violence, buses and autos have stopped running in France after 9 pm. In the city of Marseille, all urban transport has been closed since 6 pm. Along with this, the sale of big firecrackers has also been banned in the country.