TikTok and eBay were among six online platforms summoned by the French government this week, as authorities sought to contain widespread rioting and looting and prevent the resale of stolen goods.
Anne Le Hananff, France’s minister of digital affairs, convened representatives from social media firms on Tuesday for an emergency meeting, after their platforms were blamed for fanning the flames of the worst civil unrest the country has seen in years. The goal of the meeting was to remind platforms that they need to moderate content on their sites, including livestream video, to avoid violent content or anything that could encourage people to break the imposed curfew, according to French TV station BFM.
A review by WIRED of TikTok found that the search term “blocus”—meaning blockade in French— showed videos that were potentially altered or AI-generated, including viral images of a protester in a Pink Panther costume. The search term is also being used to promote “Act II” of the protests for October 24. The platform issued an “evolving situation” tag on the search term that said: “This situation is developing rapidly. Information available now may be unverified, incomplete, inaccurate, or subject to change. Take care when viewing this content, and report anything that may violate our Community Guidelines.”
Screenshot via Instagram/Loadedlyricz
A separate meeting, confirmed by Serge Papin, minister for small and medium-size enterprises on X, was held on Monday with major online reselling platforms where “an agreement was signed” to crack down on the resale of looted goods. French newspaper Le Monde reported that Vinted, eBay, Amazon, LeBonCoin, Meta, and TikTok were at the meeting. Platforms agreed to forward reports to investigators, monitor ads for goods stolen specifically during the protests, and send the government reports of their actions, with the first one coming within 48 hours, according to Papin.
Peaceful demonstrations against high living costs and strained public services, including schools, erupted into rioting and the looting of more than 1,500 shops and businesses over the weekend. Police “lost control” in some cities, Interior minister Laurent Nuñez admitted, as they responded with tear gas, water cannon, and batons. They have since arrested more than 2,400 people, according to authorities.
French penal law can hand down a five-year sentence and a €375,000 fine to anyone who is concealing, possessing, or transferring an item that they know was obtained through a crime or offense. Police issued a warning in the Netherlands that online ecommerce sites could have a higher number of stolen goods online due to the riots.
The French Alliance of Marketplaces, a nonprofit representing French online retailers such as Back Market, eBay, Etsy, LeBonCoin, ManoMano, and Vinted, said in a press release that its members are relying on user reports, human oversight, and tech tools to monitor ads that resell stolen goods from the riots. When identified, a fake ad is removed and “measures are taken against the accounts involved,” which could include permanent suspension of the seller’s account, according to a statement from eBay. The time it takes for eBay to take action “depends on the nature of the report and the necessary verification process,” the company said. Vinted, Amazon, LeBonCoin, Meta, and TikTok did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.