Fight against conspiracy: Emmanuel Macron sets up the “Bronner” commission

At the request of the President of the Republic, the sociologist Gérald Bronner will head a commission to fight against disinformation and conspiracy, which starts this Wednesday, September 29 at the Elysee Palace and which will have to make its conclusions before the end of the year.

While conspiracy and conspiracy theories have been multiplying on social networks for at least several months, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic or the deployment of the 5G network in France, the French government intends to fight against disinformation.

This decision by the French head of state comes three months after the publication of an Ifop poll revealing that 67% of French citizens express doubts about the veracity of the comments made by a recognized media.

A consequent inventory

The “Bronner Commission”, which meets this Wednesday, will have to take stock of the many issues related to digital technology and the credit given to the word given to a large audience, thereby reducing the echo of specialists.

To do this, the commission will synthesize all the writings related to this issue, before hearing the various players in the field, including representatives of the dominant social networks, at the heart of the expert group’s investigation.

“The way in which regulation by algorithms is designed has a direct influence on the information hierarchy. For example, we know that a negative tweet circulates much faster than a positive tweet, ”said Gérald Bronner in comments reported by La Croix.

A motley commission

Composed of about fifteen members, the commission brings together various profiles, with the doctor Guy Vallancien, the director of Conspiracy Watch, Rudy Reichstadt and a member of the Council of the Elders of secularism, Iannis Roder.

It also integrates researchers specializing in fields such as digital cultures, with Rahaf Harfoush, youth with Anne Muxel and geopolitics with Frédérick Douzet.