Hamas' attack on Israel on Saturday and the ensuing conflict have sparked a flood of violent images on social media. Faced with this situation, the government has decided, according to our information, to bring together the French representatives of these platforms in the coming days. A first meeting is due to take place with the cabinets of the Ministries of the Interior and Digital Affairs, and a second with Ministers Gérald Darmanin and Jean-Noël Barrot.
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The aim is to firmly reiterate the government's expectations with regard to social networks. The latter have obligations to moderate illegal and violent content" via the European Digital Services Act, which came into force on 25 August. Platforms are also subject to the Online Terrorist Content Regulation.
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Content that may be associated with Hamas is considered terrorist content. They are therefore illegal and must be withdrawn," a spokesperson for the European Commission told Le Figaro. "These rules also apply to publications glorifying terrorist acts or inciting the commission of terrorist acts.
»"The worst may be yet to come"
On this occasion, the government will reactivate the "permanent contact group" with social networks, an informal committee created in April 2015 by former Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve in order to improve "operational responsiveness" in the fight against terrorist propaganda. Very active between 2015 and 2019, the latter has since met sporadically, notably after the assassination of Samuel Paty in October 2020.
Renaissance MP Éric Bothorel pleaded for the revival of this committee. "The worst may be yet to come. Will the platforms be ready to act if Hamas executes its hostages and disseminates the footage on social media? We have to be prepared," he told Le Figaro. "Such a committee should meet regularly over time, regardless of current events, in order to anticipate crises as well as possible," he argues.
The MEP also calls for a strong response from Brussels in the event of non-compliance with moderation obligations. "We must not let anything slip through our fingers. What is at stake is the credibility of the Digital Services Act." Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton on Tuesday evening called out Elon Musk, the new owner of X (formerly Twitter), where most of the problems are concentrated. He also reminded the Meta group on Wednesday of its moderation obligations.