French government dispels fake press release claiming internet will be restricted during unrest
Police officers face protesters on Concorde square during a protest in Paris, France, Friday, June 30, 2023. The Associated Press on Monday, July 3, 2023, reported on social media posts that falsely claimed the country’s Interior Ministry announced internet restrictions in certain areas amid unrest sparked by the police killing of a teen. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
–ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLAIM: France’s Interior Ministry and national police published a press release announcing that the country is restricting internet access in certain areas amid ongoing unrest.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The government of France said in a tweet that an image of the supposed release circulating online is not real and that no such decision has been made.
THE FACTS: Social media users are claiming the European nation is taking extraordinary measures to temper the violence that has shaken the country for days after a French teenager was shot dead by police during a traffic stop.
Many are sharing a screenshot that claims to show a lengthy press release issued Sunday by the Ministry of the Interior and national police.
The release, which is written in French and includes the Interior Ministry logo, address and contact information, purports to announce temporary restrictions on internet access that will be enforced in the nighttime hours in certain neighborhoods starting Monday.
“BREAKING: FRANCE TO RESTRICT ALL INTERNET ACCESS STARTING TONIGHT,” wrote one Twitter user who posted the screenshot in a widely shared post.
But the Interior Ministry responded Sunday with a post from its official Twitter account disputing the claims in French.
The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs shared a similar statement in English, including an image of the bogus press release stamped with “FAKE.”
“This document is FALSE: no such decision has been taken,” reads the tweet.
The fake press release is among many posts spreading misinformation about the protests, which erupted after a 17-year-old delivery driver was shot and killed by a police officer last Tuesday in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
Social media users have also been sharing footage from a 2020 protest in Portland, Oregon and an image from a 2022 Netflix movie, falsely claiming they depict scenes from the upheaval violence in France.
French President Emmanuel Macron has also blamed social media for playing a “considerable role” in encouraging copycats during the unrest, which has exposed long-simmering tensions between police and young people in the country.
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This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.