By Eric King-
Twitter has blocked a social media campaign from the French government in line with the government’s own anti-fake-news law.
The blockage comes because twitter says the French government is acting in a manner that is inconsistent with its own laws. French law requires online political campaigns to declare who paid for them, and how much was spent. Officials also said that the company could not find a solution to obey the letter of the new law, officials said – and opted to avoid the potential problem altogether.The #OuiJeVote (Yes, I Vote) campaign encouraged voters to register for the European elections ahead of the deadline.
It was brought into play by the French government information service, which planned to pay for sponsored tweets, according to news agency AFP.
Twitter’s refusal to take money from the state to promote the message baffled many in France. One MP, Naïma Moutchou, tweeted: “I thought it was an April Fools!”
Interior Minister Christophe Castanter also took to the platform to express frustration with twitter’s decision.
“Twitter’s priority should be to fight content that glorifies terrorism. Not campaigns to register on the electoral lists of a democratic republic.”
It requires online platforms to provide “fair, clear and transparent” information about the person or company, and the amount paid, in an open and accessible database format.