Social media ‘didn’t do enough’ on moderation during French riots, Breton says

Fireworks explode during clashes with police in Le Port, French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, on June 30, 2023, three days after a 17-year-old boy was shot in the chest by police at point-blank range in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris. France has banned the sale, possession and transport of fireworks during the July 14 national holiday weekend, following riots sparked by the police killing a teenager, the government said on July 9, 2023. — AFP

Social media platforms didn’t adequately moderate harmful content during recent riots in France, European Commissioner Thierry Breton said.

“Social media didn’t do enough,” Breton said in an interview Monday on France Info radio, naming apps from Snap Inc. and TikTok Inc. in particular. Representatives for the two companies didn’t immediately respond to Bloomberg requests for comment.