Fake Video Claiming 'Coup In France' Goes Viral

alternative_right shares a report from Euronews: France's President Emmanuel Macron discovered news of his own supposed overthrow, after he received a message of concern, along with a link to a Facebook video. 'On Sunday (14 December) one of my African counterparts got in touch, writing 'Dear president, what's happening to you? I'm very worried,'' Macron told readers of French local newspaper La Provence on December 16.

Alongside the message, a compelling video showcasing a swirling helicopter, military personnel, crowds and -- what appears to be -- a news anchor delivering a piece to camera. 'Unofficial reports suggest that there has been a coup in France, led by a colonel whose identity has not been revealed, along with the possible fall of Emmanuel Macron. However, the authorities have not issued a clear statement,' she says.

Except, nothing about this video is authentic: it was created with AI. After discovering the video, Macron asked Pharos -- France's official portal for signaling online illicit content -- to call Facebook's parent company Meta, to get the fake video removed. But that request was turned down, as the platform claimed it did not violate its 'rules of use.' The original video... racked up more than 12 million views.The teenager running the account is based in Burkina Faso and makes money running courses focusing on how to monetize AI. He eventually took the video down more than a week after its initial publication, due to political -- and public -- controversy. 'I tend to think that I have more power to apply pressure than other people,' Macron said. 'Or rather, that it's easier to say something is serious if I am the one calling, but it doesn't work.'

'These people are mocking us,' he added. 'They don't care about the serenity of public debates, they don't care about democracy, and therefore they are putting us in danger.'

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