Paris (AFP)

At the end of a long chaotic journey, the Parliament is preparing to adopt Wednesday, via a final vote of the National Assembly, the law proposal of Laetitia Avia (LREM) aiming to "put an end to impunity" hate online, synonymous with "censorship" according to its detractors.

According to LREM deputies, "hate content, already too present on the web, has exploded significantly in recent weeks" during the confinement and "show us, once again, the urgency of regulating social networks".

On the German model, platforms and search engines will have the obligation to remove "manifestly" illegal content within 24 hours, on pain of being fined up to 1.25 million euros. This includes incitement to hatred, violence, insults of a racist or even religious nature.

The Senate, dominated by the right-wing opposition, opposed this flagship measure. "There is no question of entrusting the police of our freedom of expression to GAFA" (Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple), according to the leader of LR senators, Bruno Retailleau.

Right-wing MPs will vote against the bill Wednesday, their boss Damien Abad, who said "the risks of over-censorship are too great", told AFP. "Everyone agrees to fight hate online but the device is poorly designed," he said. A referral to the Constitutional Council looms on the right.

The far left and the far right also object to the risk of "automatic censorship". "Even in the midst of a health and economic crisis, the macronie is continuing its liberticide projects," lambasted RN MEP Jordan Bardella in a press release on Wednesday.

- Motion and boycott -

The vote comes while Laetitia Avia is questioned by Mediapart for "repeated humiliations" and "remarks with a sexist, homophobic and racist connotation" against five former parliamentary collaborators. The elected representative of Paris, who denounces "false allegations", indicated that she would file a complaint for defamation.

The 34-year-old parliamentarian, a lawyer by profession, aims with her bill to "end impunity" online. This is the first text on the menu unrelated to the coronavirus, since the beginning of the epidemic in France.

In line with Emmanuel Macron's commitment since 2018 to strengthening the fight against racist and anti-Semitic hatred that thrives on the internet, the bill had started its parliamentary journey in April 2019, then was fairly largely reworked, at thanks to criticisms or observations, up to the European Commission which asked for better targeting of the content in question.

In a final assault, the Insoumis deputies will defend a rejection motion on Wednesday. The Communists will boycott the session from 3:00 p.m., denouncing an "unacceptable functioning" of the National Assembly, while the presence of deputies is limited to 150 for health reasons and that the texts related to the crisis should be given priority.

The bill has raised many reservations, including the National Digital Council, the National Consultative Commission for Human Rights, or the Quadrature du Net, which defends individual freedoms in the digital world.

While the Hexagon wants to be at the forefront of the global regulatory movement, but struggles to advance the subject, the Secretary of State for Digital Cédric O judges the balance "achieved" between freedom of expression and "efficiency".

Large digital companies are showing their support for stepping up the fight against hate online, but the obligation to withdraw is worrying. Because it will force platforms to decide very quickly, at the risk of a cascade of controversies and legal conflicts.

In addition, the text provides for a series of new constraints for the platforms: transparency on the means implemented and results obtained, enhanced cooperation in particular with the justice system, increased attention to minors. The whole will be controlled by the Superior council of audio-visual.

Most political groups are divided. A handful of majority members had abstained in previous readings.

Philippe Latombe (MoDem) had even voted against, deeming "undoubtedly unconstitutional" the "loss of sovereignty following the decision to entrust moderation to platforms only".

© 2020 AFP