“More than misdeeds, the Gafam are destruction of our freedoms, our rights, businesses, peoples. As soon as there is a concentration of powers, there is a risk for freedom and creation, ”
hammered the former Minister of Culture, Jack Lang.
Political representatives, press agencies and the media were invited by the Union of General Information Press Agencies (SAPIG) for a day on the theme: “
Hey Gafam!
Hands down on news, the economy, the presidential elections?
".
A committed round table, in which Google and Facebook refused to participate.
To read also: The "unicorns", new alternatives to Gafa
One year before the presidential election in France, there is an urgent need to display a
"sacred union between the various actors to fight against the monopoly of Gafam and alert public opinion"
, summarized Jérôme Doncieux, president of SAPIG and vice-president of the French Federation of Press Agencies (FFAP).
Legal and technical expertise
During this day of meetings, the former minister and negotiator of the Brexit agreement, Michel Barnier, insisted on the need for cooperation between European states.
“The monopoly of the Gafam is a serious issue, which will be at the heart of the presidential debate. Our main strength in this global market is the single European market. The defense of national sovereignty goes through cooperation with European countries ”,
analyzed the former European Commissioner. In this regard, the technical and legal expertise of national regulatory authorities must be up to the challenges.
"This can go through an increase in the budgets devoted to them,
" said Michel Barnier.
In this speed race imposed by the Gafam, politics has for the moment lost, lamented for his part Yannick Jadot. MEP EELV believes that
"the question of dismantling the Gafam should no longer be a taboo in Europe"
. A conviction also shared by the former Minister of the Economy, Arnaud Montebourg. "
The prospect of dismantling should prevail when a company has 80% of the market,
" defended the entrepreneur.
There are no other solutions to reduce their power
”.
During the debates, politicians and the media also spoke of the limits encountered by European regulators during their investigations into Gafam. Indeed, the success of surveys depends in part on the level of cooperation of the platforms. “
The legislator does not go far enough, regretted
Pierre Louette, Chairman and CEO of the Les Echos-Le Parisien group and president of the Alliance de la presse d'Information générale (APIG).
These platforms have such an important power in our lives, we should have a right of access to their data
”.
All the players agreed on the need to create European technological champions.
"
How to break a domination without creating alternatives?
We must mobilize the necessary financial resources in France to keep our best talents,
”argued Arnaud Montebourg.
Arm yourself against fake news
Against certain Gafam practices, France must ensure that citizens are informed in a balanced and fair manner. One year before the 2022 presidential election, the State must mobilize resources to fight against “
information bubbles from
social networks, which polarize opinion,” insisted Pierre Louette.
“To arm ourselves against fake news, we have to invent a sort of Superior Audiovisual Council (CSA) on the web. But a better regulator! An independent authority that would ensure a healthy democratic debate, ”
added Arnaud Montebourg.
Above all, the response to fake news must go through correcting the economic model of disinformation.
"
The business model of platforms favors the production of 'cheap' information
(editor's note)," lamented Fabrice Fries, president and CEO of AFP.
He believes that platforms must open their black box and reveal the secrets of their algorithms.
The weakened media business model
News media are suffering in a digital economy where advertising revenues are increasingly captured by Gafam. In ten years, the French press has lost 50% of its advertising revenue, recalled Pierre Louette. In 2020, Facebook, Google and Amazon shared 80% of digital ad revenue. Digital now represents more than half of advertisers' investments. To finance “
content and services of public interest
”, Yannick Jadot thus evoked the idea of progressive taxation on income from online advertising. In February, the US state of Maryland was the first to pass such a tax, which will be allocated to schools.
The actors discussed the delicate implementation of neighboring rights, approved by the European Parliament in 2019, so that platforms pay press publishers for the use of their content. France was the first country to transpose these rights into its law. After intense negotiations, Google finally signed individual agreements at the beginning of the year with part of the press, in particular the major national dailies.
But discussions with other publishers and news agencies are slipping. “
Google explains that press agencies are not affected by neighboring rights, although this is the title of my law! The company is trying to divide the press editors
, ”lamented the senator from Paris, David Assouline (PS), rapporteur for the text. A point of view shared by Jérôme Doncieux: "
We are simply asking for the application of the law and fair remuneration for the press agencies
".
