PARIS — The French branch of Kremlin-backed RT is still accessible in France despite sanctions against Russia — and it’s unclear what can be done about it.
French President Emmanuel Macron hinted he was aware of the issue in a TV interview Wednesday evening.
“We’re using the informational weapon, and Russia was doing it even before by spreading propaganda on social networks, through propaganda channels that we have cut off on our soil but still continue to find channels to broadcast,” he told France 2.
More than seven months after Europe banned Moscow-backed news outlets RT, formerly known as Russia Today, and Sputnik, an investigation by public radio France Inter found that RT France was still broadcasting live on the fringe platform Odysee — a go-to website for disinformation and conspiracy theories on various topics including COVID-19.
There is no clear, foolproof way to ensure RT is no longer available on the platform, according to conversations with regulators, policymakers and industry officials, which highlights once again the limitations of the legislative arsenal to deal with foreign-backed outlets and platforms located only outside the EU.
What is clear, however, is that RT France is indeed circumventing the sanctions against Russia, despite claims to the French public radio that the ban is about the distribution of content in EU countries. “All relevant licenses, authorizations and distribution agreements from or to the EU are suspended,” a spokesperson for the European Commission said.
The spokesperson added, however, that it was up to EU countries to enforce the sanctions.
The sanctions are directly applicable and do not call for an intervention from regulators. In France, the regulator — audiovisual and platforms watchdog Arcom — however informed the concerned players of the EU Council’s decision and ensured that the sanctions were effectively implemented.
The sanctions are directly applicable and do not call for a decision from national regulators. In France, the regulator — audiovisual and platforms watchdog Arcom — however informed the actors under its remit of the EU Council sanctions. RT and Sputnik are no longer available in France on mainstream platforms including Google’s YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
But in this particular case, Arcom’s hands are tied as well. “Odysee being a U.S. platform, it does not fall under the competence of Arcom,” a spokesperson explained.
The French regulator cannot rely on the country’s legislation on disinformation either, as the law is not about regulating content, per se, but rather about ensuring that platforms put the necessary means in place to fight fake news. France’s other content regulation rules adopted last year, in a bid to anticipate the EU’s Digital Services Act, focus mainly on hate speech.
It’s a dead end on telecoms’ side too, as internet service providers need a decision from a judge — not an administrative order — to block access to Odysee, as some of the content hosted on the platform is lawful, an official from the sector said.
The Elysée didn’t reply to a request for comment.
