Cut Internet in neighborhoods? “Fake news”, answers the Ministry of the Interior

2023-07-02 18:33:06

“They’re going to cut us off from the Internet, if it’s not dictatorship, tell me what it is.” “Urgent: the French government wants to cut off the Internet in the neighborhoods following the riots. “I can’t believe it, they’re going to cut off the Internet everywhere because of the riots. “Since Saturday, this type of message abounds on social networks. In some cases, they are illustrated by a “press release”. “From July 3, and for a fixed period, temporary restrictions will be applied to Internet access in certain specific neighborhoods during nighttime hours,” it reads.

If the rumor has gained momentum… it is baseless. “This document is false, no decision has been taken in this direction”, indicated this Sunday the Ministry of the Interior. “This is fake news,” adds the general management of the national police. There was never any question of cutting off the Internet, neither in the neighborhoods nor elsewhere, to stop the urban violence linked to the death of Nahel, killed Tuesday in Nanterre, by a police officer during a refusal to comply.

Meeting with platforms

What is true, however, is that TikTok, Snapchat and other platforms are in the crosshairs of the government, which believes that they are not active enough in removing sensitive content. An escalation of images of urban violence is taking place, in fact, on social networks, raising fears of an escalation of excesses.

The Ministers of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, that of Digital Jean-Noël Barrot “asked them to actively commit themselves to urgently withdraw the messages which are 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”, indicates a press release from Place Beauvau.