Macron suggests blocking social media during riots
The French president has raised the idea of limiting or even cutting off access to social media platforms during episodes of urban violence – a practice until now reserved for authoritarian regimes.
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2023/07/05/macron-suggests-blocking-social-media-during-riots_6043565_13.htmlOpen linkView original on lemmy.world
So instead of tackling the source of problem, they are using authoritarian regimes toolkits.
Reminds me of the 2011 U.K. riots. Similar discussions about Blackberry and Twitter
There was also the Arab spring that same year where those governments cut access to communication.
What governments are and are not authoritarian is honestly a matter of perspective. No government should disrupt or intercept private communication between law abiding citizens without reasonable suspicion that there is imminent danger to human life.
That’s the main problem though. The state is also the entity that decides what “the laws” are and thus they decide if you’re a “law” abiding citizen or not.
That’s the main problem though. The state is also the entity that decides what “the laws” are and thus they decide if you’re a “law” abiding citizen or not.
What exactly are they hoping to achieve with that?
Likely to disrupt the ability of anyone protesting against the government to coordinate, using the current riots as an excuse for that. Macron is basically what you get when a Spez becomes president of a government.
Well yes, but what is the reason they're giving?
It's only Macron raising the idea. For now. Quoting translations of Macron's speech, it's "because they [social media] change the way young people relate to reality"; and "because when it [social media] becomes an instrument for assemblies or for trying to kill, it is a real issue".
There's the answer I was looking for, thank you.
What flimsy justification. They couldn't have dreamed up a better reason?
Yes, it's extremely flimsy. But to be fair with Macron, he was just toying with the idea; that's why I compared him with another clown (Spez), due to his inability to think on the impact of his words before saying them. This might potentially never happen, as long as that government's taxpayers keep protesting against their rogue state wannabe.
...to disrupt protests and riots
youre vastly underestimating how much of the west is strongly against non compliance of any kind
Y'all remember when the internat was thrilled this dude beat out Hollande? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
Another step towards authoritarianism?
im not sure if it counts as a step, theyve been an authoritarian police state shithole for ages
He starts to sound more and more like a dictator each day.
This is done in countries we don't like to compare us to.