Meta refuses Macron’s request to remove AI video claiming a coup in France

Meta initially refused French President Emmanuel Macron's request to remove an AI-generated video claiming a coup had taken place in France, which gathered millions of views.

The Facebook reel, disguised as a video from the non-existent news channel Live 24, claimed that Macron had been overthrown along with his government, France 24 reports.

Speaking in front of the Eiffel Tower with flashing police lights and soldiers in the background, an alleged journalist said the coup was led by an unnamed colonel.

The AI-generated video, which garnered around 13 million views, caused concern among some foreign leaders. Macron told journalists on Tuesday that one of his African counterparts had sent him a message asking what was happening in France.

Macron told the French media that his team reported the video to Meta, Facebook’s parent company, which, to the president’s surprise, initially refused to take the reel down, claiming it did not violate its “rules of use on the platform.”

“These people are mocking us. They don’t care about keeping public debates healthy, they mock the sovereignty of democracies and are putting us in danger,” Macron told newspaper La Provence, as quoted by France24, likely referring to the leaders of US tech companies.

The incident highlights the challenges of battling misinformation on social media, especially since AI-powered video generation tools have become widely available.

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Meta started labeling AI-generated content on its social networks in 2024, which is flagged by users. However, automated warnings aren’t yet available.

Synthetic videos are only removed if they violate policies against voter interference, bullying and harassment, violence, and incitement.

​A 2025 study found that AI-generated media labels significantly reduce users’ beliefs in claims presented in content, but have little impact on their likelihood of engaging with their assigned post.

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