French President Emmanuel Macron criticized Meta for refusing to remove an AI-generated video announcing a fake coup in France, viewed over 13 million times. Created by a Burkinabé teenager seeking fame, the video alarmed one of Macron's African colleagues. Le Monde identified the author, who expressed surprise at its virality.
On December 16, during a meeting with readers of La Provence, French President Emmanuel Macron sharply criticized Facebook and its parent company Meta. He denounced their refusal to remove an AI-generated video announcing a fictional coup d’état in France. In the clip, a fake journalist reports from Paris on a colonel seizing power. The video has garnered over 13 million views on Facebook.
Macron said he learned of this disinformation from a “colleague in Africa” who contacted him, concerned about the situation in France. “These people are mocking us. They are mocking the sovereignty of democracies, and thus putting us in danger,” he stated. The Élysée requested removal through the Pharos platform, but Meta replied that the content did not violate its rules, refusing withdrawal.
Le Monde tracked down the video’s creator: an anonymous Burkinabé teenager managing a Facebook page from his country. He also posted the clip on TikTok. “I posted it just like that, and the next day I see the video at 11 million views, I was astonished,” he confided during a 20-minute phone call. Wary but impressed, the adolescent claims he only aimed to “go viral” and did not anticipate the spread. He did not specify if TikTok was asked to remove it.
This incident highlights the challenges of moderating AI content on social networks, as Macron pointed out, without mentioning further state actions beyond the request to Meta.
