French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron has become the latest high profile European politician to threaten U. S. tech companies over their use of..
French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron has become the latest high profile European politician to threaten U. S. tech companies over their use of end-to-end encryption, and for how digital platforms enable the spread of terrorist propaganda online.
Officially launching his presidential campaign yesterday with a five-point plan for combating terrorism, Macron said it is “no longer acceptable” that companies say they have a contractual obligation to their users to protect their communications.
Opinion polls predict Macron will be one of two candidates to reach the second round of the election next month.
“Democratic states must have access to content exchanged between terrorists on social media and instant messaging,” he said, according to a BBC report.
We’re reached out to Macron’s press team with questions and will update this story with any response.
In the 40-minute speech discussing his approach to counterterrorism, Macron describes the Internet as having become “an essential part of terrorism”, and argues it therefore “needs to be an essential part of the fight against terrorism”.
“That’s why we need to have an open discussion with big internet companies: Google, Facebook, Apple, Twitter and others,” he said, adding: “Many terrorists went ahead after having been radicalized on social networks. They’re exposed to islamist propaganda that manipulates them and leads them to violence. It’s essential that big internet companies commit to remove this content immediately. This commitment should have an obligation of results. They can’t argue that there’s a technical incompatibility, or that they value freedom or neutrality.
“[Terrorist] organizations that threaten us take advantage of the possibilities of modern cryptography to hide their projects. They use strongly encrypted instant messengers to talk with each other and give orders. A good chunk of that internet traffic is encrypted and gets away from police forces. It’s obviously a weakness and makes the fight against terrorism harder.
“Until now, big Internet companies have refused to give their encryption keys or access to this content, saying that they have told their clients that their communications are protected.
