Right, left, associations and journalists' unions are worried about some provisions voted by the majority.

Parliament passed Tuesday night, by a final vote of the National Assembly, two controversial bills, deemed "ineffective" and "potentially" dangerous by opposition and associations of journalists.

The first text was voted by 183 votes against 111 and 8 abstentions, with the support of the majority LREM-MoDem. The second was approved by 347 votes to 204, with 14 abstentions, in a vote in which more members took part. Right and left voted against or abstained, denouncing "useless" laws and pointing to "risk", especially for freedom of expression.

Associations and unions of journalists have also protested against these texts, fearing in particular a first step towards a possible "censorship" .

The last word to the deputies

After two rejections, firm, Senate and the failure of a compromise between the two chambers, the deputies had the last word on these bills of the majority, wanted by Emmanuel Macron, which had been targeted by rumors during presidential campaign.

The head of state announced in January, during his wishes to the press, want to "evolve our legal system to protect the democratic life of these false news . "

In a thinly veiled allusion to the Russian media RT and Sputnik, he lambasted "this propaganda articulated with thousands of costs on social networks" that "in a moment" spread "invented hacks" .

The CSA will be able to suspend TV channels

The challenge of the texts: "Acting in the face of what, far from being an epiphenomenon, constitutes a major challenge for our democracies: the misuse of the public debate and ultimately the polls by malicious companies of misinformation," said the rapporteur. LREM Naïma Moutchou, evoking the May European elections, "next great theater of manipulation" .

The texts must allow a candidate or party to appeal to the judge to stop the dissemination of "false information" during the three months preceding a national poll. They impose on digital platforms (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) transparency obligations when they distribute content for remuneration.

The Higher Audiovisual Council (CSA) may also suspend the broadcasting of television services that are " controlled by a foreign state or under the influence" of that State if they disseminate "deliberately false information likely to alter the sincerity of the vote " .

What is false information?

"The manipulation is not only a threat but a reality (...) well installed," said the Minister of Culture Franck Riester, welcoming texts that go "in the right direction . "

The government's arguments did not convince the Senate, a majority on the right, who rejected the texts without even discussing them. In the Assembly, the texts have split.

At the heart of the controversy: the very definition of a "fake news" . To this expression, the Commission for Enrichment of the French Language (CELF) prefers the terms "misleading information" or the neologism "infox" .

According to the definition adopted, "false information" is "inaccurate or misleading allegations or imputations of a fact that would alter the sincerity of the vote" .

The definition of "false information" retained "is still neither clear nor protective," said Constance Le Grip (LR), "skeptical" on the effectiveness of measures. She also fears "adverse effects" , such as "a risk of self-censorship" , "police of thought" and "attacks on freedom of the press" .

Jean-Luc Mélenchon attacks the "journalissimes"

The rebellious, who asked in vain for the rejection of the texts, mainly mentioned the work of the journalists. In a diatribe against the media, their leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon lambasted "everyday people who consider themselves above all commitment" and the "duty of intellectual honesty" .

Elsa Faucillon (communist group) for its part criticized a law "at best useless, at worst counterproductive and dangerous. "

"The effects of the coercive measures of these bills (...) will be negligible when they will not pose a threat to the fundamental freedom of expression," said Bertrand Pancher (Liberties and territories).

"We took a long time for a text that does not satisfy anyone," said the Socialist Hervé Saulignac.