The ‘Digital Oligarchy’ Should Not Regulate Online Content According to France’s Bruno Le Maire

France Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said that “Digital regulation should not be done by the digital oligarchy itself,” and that he was “shocked” by Twitter banning President Donald Trump.

Le Maire added that, ”Regulation of the digital arena is a matter for the sovereign people, governments and the judiciary,” according to a translation provided by the Financial Times.

Le Maire’s statements follow the deplatforming of President Trump by social networks including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, among others, at the behest of Democratic lawmakers and activists.

The calls to remove the president follow allegations that he is responsible for protests at the U.S. Capitol last week which delayed the electoral college vote certification.

Twitter led the effort on Friday by permanently banning Trump with Facebook and Instagram indefinitely suspending his accounts soon after.

On Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel sided with Le Maire saying that that corporations should not interfere with free speech.

“The chancellor sees the complete closing down of the account of an elected president as problematic,” Steffen Seibert, her chief spokesman, said in Berlin at a news conference.

Rights like the freedom of speech “can be interfered with, but by law and within the framework defined by the legislature — not according to a corporate decision,” Seibert said.

Seibert added that Merkel believes the U.S. should pass regulations to restrict online incitement rather than just leaving it up to Big Tech, the Financial Times reported.

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