PARIS (AP) — French authorities have apprehended three Algerian men identified as social media influencers for allegedly posting videos inciting violence amid escalating tensions between France and its former colony in North Africa. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau disclosed the most recent arrest on Sunday, marking the third apprehension in three days. The arrest followed a French media report indicating that the influencer targeted had shared a video deemed anti-Semitic with his 138,000 TikTok followers.
Notably, it remains ambiguous whether all those detained are Algerian citizens residing in France. The arrests occurred in Grenoble, Montpellier, and Brest, reflecting heightened unrest within the intricate relationship between France and Algeria, which gained independence from French colonial rule in 1962 following a protracted conflict.
Recent discord emerged last July when France shifted its longstanding stance on the contested Western Sahara region in northern Africa, drawing ire from Algeria and leading to the recall of its ambassador from Paris. Concurrently, France has criticized Algeria’s detainment of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal since November. Sansal, a vocal critic of the Algerian regime, remains in custody at 75 years old.
Despite the diplomatic strains, the French government has refrained from explicitly connecting these tensions with Algiers to the recent arrests. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot emphasized on Sunday France’s desire for amicable relations with Algeria, though expressing concerns regarding the Algerian government’s commitment to previously established agreements aimed at fostering reconciliation between the two nations.
The initial influencer apprehended, a 25-year-old individual with over 400,000 TikTok followers before his account was suspended, was taken into custody on Friday for allegedly expressing sympathetic views towards terrorism. Retailleau stated that the influencer had encouraged his followers to perpetrate attacks within France. Another Algerian influencer was arrested on Friday night, with Retailleau underscoring that this individual, too, would be held accountable for objectionable content shared on TikTok.
The series of arrests underscore the growing challenges surrounding online content and its potential to incite violence, particularly within the context of strained international relations. As France and Algeria navigate their complex history and contemporary discord, the role of social media in shaping public discourse and influencing behaviors has come under heightened scrutiny. Time will tell how these incidents impact the broader dynamics between the two nations and their respective populations.
