The fight against ‘online hatred’ has just entered a new phase in France with the announcement of the creation of a “coalition of associations” designed to track down suspicious content on the internet. Known for their left-wing, even far-left activism, these associations will see their subsidies increase considerably—as will their sense of omnipotence.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, July 9th, by Minister Aurore Bergé, responsible for “gender equality.” Twelve existing associations will be tasked with reporting to Arcom—the independent media regulatory authority—any online content deemed suspicious on the grounds of “racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, misogyny and anti-Muslim hatred.” Unsurprisingly, the definition of their mission does not include anti-Christian hatred or anti-white racism.
The aim is for the selected organisations to be put in direct contact with Arcom so that their reports can be treated as a “priority” and the content in question can be removed “much more quickly.” For French citizens, the list of associations includes only names known for their overt left-wing political activism: Planned Parenthood, SOS Homophobia, SOS Racism and the Federation of LGBTI+ Centres, among others. Their hunt for online ‘hatred’ is therefore likely to turn into a formidable revolutionary tribunal against any form of right-wing thought deemed unauthorised.
Another source of concern is that the minister has announced that these associations, already generously funded by public money, will see their subsidies substantially increased. No problem: “Nicolas is paying,” according to the now-famous phrase. These associations are “already receiving financial support, but they will receive even more so that they can recruit people who will be dedicated to the fight against online hate,” explained Aurore Bergé.
The minister presented this measure as a “major democratic issue, a public health issue for our children and teenagers.” While we can clearly see the public health issue for young people that the fight against online pornography represents, which Aurore Bergé herself has defended energetically in recent weeks, it is difficult to see how “public health” can be invoked in relation to “online hate.”
Aurore Bergé claims to be leading the fight alongside the European Union, which has also made censorship of online content one of its key priorities.
