🔴 France Proposes New Social Media Censorship Powers The French government just introduced an amendment that requires websites, social media platforms, and hosting providers to remove content within 1 hour of an administrative takedown request. The law targets "content that directly incites the commission of intentional acts against human life, intentional acts causing physical harm, sexual assaults, theft, or the destruction, damage, or deterioration of property, where such content could cause a serious disturbance to public order." Second, it "establishes an emergency procedure to order the immediate removal of content that calls for an attack, insurrection, or taking up arms against the State and/or a segment of the population." Providers would have 24 hours to comply with a removal request, and one hour to comply with a removal request relating to insurrection. Failure to comply may lead to the sites concerned being blocked and delisted in the country. The amendment does not define how authorities will distinguish between criticism of the government, calls to protest and incitement to violence. It does not define how lawful dissent would be protected from being censored.