President Emmanuel Macron has called for swift changes to French law that would allow judges to urgently block 'false information' circulating online, arguing that disinformation is becoming a major threat to individual dignity and national stability.
Speaking in the north-eastern town of Mirecourt on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he had asked his government to draw up proposals for new summary proceedings that could be used when defamatory or harmful claims spread across social networks.
The aim, he said, is to have a mechanism firmly anchored in French legislation “as soon as possible”.
The French leader revealed that he had convened a defence council dedicated to “information warfare”, tasking officials with completing their work by the end of the year.
It forms part of a broader campaign to tackle what Paris sees as an escalation in hostile foreign propaganda, particularly from Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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Targets of conspiracy
Macron and his wife, Brigitte, have themselves been persistent targets of online conspiracy theories – most notably the baseless claim that the First Lady was born male.
The couple say such attacks have taken a personal toll, with the president admitting he has faced online harassment and that Brigitte has endured “even more”.
“We are completely powerless,” he told regional press. “It takes an enormous amount of time, it continues, people see it, and there are those who are foolish enough to believe it is true. And that undermines you.”
Under the proposals he outlined, victims of online harassment or disinformation could ask a judge “to rule within 48 hours” and order perpetrators to take down offending posts.
Macron argued that such rapid intervention is essential in a digital environment where falsehoods can race around the internet long before corrections gain traction.
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Tackling disinformation
Macron also cited broader examples of misleading narratives, including a recent false claim that France had dispatched 1,000 legionnaires to fight in Ukraine.
“You may have read it, maybe even believed it for a moment. All of that was completely false,” he said.
The president’s push comes as French authorities continue to warn about Russia’s growing disinformation efforts across Europe, which officials say have intensified sharply over the past two years.
The Macrons have already taken matters into their own hands internationally, having filed a legal case in the United States against conservative commentator Candace Owens, whom they accuse of amplifying misinformation about Brigitte Macron’s gender.
Their US lawyer has said the couple plan to provide “scientific” evidence and photographs demonstrating that the First Lady is indeed a woman.
Friday’s announcement comes as part of a wider tour that has taken Macron to Toulouse in the southwest and Arras in the north, giving him a chance to meet residents and discuss issues ranging from the cost of living to the impact of social media.
(with newswires)
