Social networks pose a rising “problem to our democracies,” Marine Tondelier has claimed
Marine Tondelier, secretary-general of The Ecologists – Europe Ecology The Greens, has referred to as for the social media platform X to be banned throughout the European Union, at the very least throughout election intervals, arguing that it performs a task in shaping public opinion in methods that may threaten democracy.
Talking on RTL’s Le Grand Jury program on Sunday, Tondelier expressed considerations concerning the affect of social media on democratic processes amid heightened tensions between the platform’s proprietor, Elon Musk, and EU officers who accuse the US-based billionaire of meddling in European politics.
“It is not a query of freedom of expression; it is a query of shaping public opinion,” she claimed. Tondelier highlighted the rising focus of media possession in France and globally, accusing “ultra-rich people” of attempting to “purchase energy” as soon as they accumulate sufficient wealth.
“We additionally have to take social media into consideration on this calculation now. It’s a part of the fabrication of opinion. It has a grip on actuality. It impacts election outcomes,” she acknowledged. “It is harmful as a result of it is a problem to our democracies,” she added, suggesting a ban on X throughout delicate intervals, corresponding to elections.
“The social community Twitter will not be solely annoying but additionally harmful. The query of leaving it clearly arises, but it surely is not going to be sufficient: it should be banned,” she wrote in a submit on X.
Tondelier additionally urged her companions from the left-wing New Fashionable Entrance (NPF) coalition, which gained probably the most Nationwide Meeting seats on this summer season’s legislative elections, emigrate to different networks.
“I’ll go away, however what are the others doing? It can nonetheless have an effect on actuality. It can nonetheless contribute to destabilizing the upcoming elections,” she mentioned.
Musk provoked main controversy by claiming in December that “solely the AfD can save Germany,” an announcement some EU officers denounced as unacceptable international meddling. This adopted an op-ed piece printed by the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, wherein he defended the right-wing occasion’s insurance policies. Final week, Musk hosted an interview on X with Alice Weidel, the AfD’s candidate for chancellor within the upcoming German election.
Musk additionally clashed with former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, referring to him as “the tyrant of Europe,” after Breton appeared to endorse the cancellation of Romania’s presidential elections, warning about potential international interference within the upcoming German polls.
French Overseas Minister Jean-Noel Barrot just lately voiced considerations about Musk’s affect, urging the European Fee to take a firmer stance and use present mechanisms in opposition to alleged exterior meddling. Breton clarified that his remarks have been aimed toward making certain compliance with the EU’s Digital Providers Act.
In current weeks, the South African-born tech mogul additionally criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing him of failing to sort out the Pakistani grooming gang difficulty and refusing to correctly examine the mass rape of underage women whereas he was head of the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service from 2008 to 2013. He additionally urged Washington to step in and “liberate” the Brits from their “tyrannical authorities.”
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