In its libertarian logic of an expression “no limits”, Elon Musk plans to push the envelope even further by removing on its X network the possibility for each subscriber to ban this or that unwanted contact. If this news is actually acted upon, it will no longer be possible to prevent a malicious person from sending you hate messages or threats – which is also known as cyberharassment – and you will no longer be able to prevent him from having access to your tweets on the network.
This new fad of the fanciful billionaire will therefore constitute real “progress” for those who want to cause great harm in the comfort of anonymity by opening real highways for (false) information, all the more effective as it appears sensational. So sensational in fact that the “real” media do not talk about it, proof of a global conspiracy of the “elites”, QED.
We already know, unfortunately, that a cyberbullying campaign can lead to suicide.
The cases of Juliette and Lindsay, schoolgirls pushed to the limit by other teenagers, are still remembered.
But imbeciles do not have a monopoly on nuisance, and dark forces are engaged in fake news and destabilization campaigns that target our democracies.
There are also nauseating “news” circulating at the moment about Kamala Harris a few days before the American elections. A limitless imagination poisons the good people on climate skepticism, on the flatness of the earth (indeed, it is not running very… well at the moment), on the questioning of scientific knowledge, etc. A sort of generalized “shampoo-therapy” which relaxes those who remain vigilant and pragmatic in the face of the avalanche of news which assail us at all hours of the day and night with “alerts”, “pusch” and other “breaking news”. It’s sometimes difficult to distinguish towels from tea towels.
But if, in the coming days, your favorite “social” network announces a significant reduction in taxes, you will have every reason to be wary. Even if it seems that… but anyway, we understand each other, don’t we?
Jean-Michel CHEVALIER
