In the wake of recent riots in France, President Emmanuel Macron has called for restrictions on social media platforms to address the issue of violence being organized online. Macron has stressed the significant role played by social media platforms in fueling acts of violence and has called for measures to remove sensitive content. The recent unrest in France, which has resulted in the arrest of 875 people and 200 injuries to police, has prompted Macron to encourage parents to keep teenagers at home after three nights of unrest. Rioters have erected barricades, lit fires, and thrown fireworks at police officers, who have responded with tear gas, water cannons, and stun grenades.
Macron has called for technology firms to work with the government to remove offensive content but did not specify what he had in mind [1]. He has specifically mentioned social media platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok to remove sensitive content, as they have been used to organize acts of violence.
The French government has deployed 40,000 police officers to restore order and make arrests. A previous French government used a state of emergency to quell rioting after two boys died fleeing police in 2005 . Macron’s call for restrictions on social media platforms is a proactive step towards addressing the issue of violence being organized online and curbing future unrest. It remains to be seen that the French government and technology firms will take specific measures to address this issue.
