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In India, Macron Rebukes Big Tech’s Free-Speech Defense and Demands Algorithm Transparency

The French leader sharpened a regulatory push that puts opaque recommender systems at the center of Europe’s fight with social platforms.

Overview

  • Speaking in New Delhi, Emmanuel Macron said, “Free speech is pure bullshit if nobody knows how you are guided through this,” arguing opaque algorithms skew public debate.
  • He called for “free algorithms” that are “totally transparent,” asserting all recommender systems carry bias with major democratic consequences.
  • He restated plans in France to restrict social media access for younger users and to ban mobile phones in high schools to limit online harms.
  • His stance tracks with EU enforcement under the Digital Services Act, including an investigation into X over risks tied to its AI chatbot Grok.
  • Macron has warned Europe’s regulatory course could prompt a political clash with the United States, which portrays the EU’s rules as censorship.