A fake video generated using AI triggered widespread concern and debate in France after falsely claiming the overthrow of French President Emmanuel Macron.
The fabricated video spread rapidly on Facebook, amassing more than 12 million views before later being removed.
According to Italy’s La Repubblica, the mythical narrative did not remain confined to social media users, but reached official circles as well.
President Macron revealed that on Sunday, December 14, he received a message from an African counterpart expressing concern over reports of a supposed coup in France.
Speaking to La Provence, Macron said the official asked him directly about the reports.
The circulated video showed scenes of a military helicopter, soldiers, and crowds in the streets, along with a news-style introduction suggesting a coup led by an unidentified officer and the possible removal of Macron, without any official statement or confirmation.
Investigations later confirmed that all elements of the video were fake, including the visuals and the audio, and that it was entirely produced using advanced artificial intelligence tools.
After the video went viral, Macron turned to the government-run “Pharos” platform, which handles reports of illegal online content, to contact Meta, Facebook’s parent company, and request the video’s removal.
Meta reportedly refused, arguing that the content did not violate its platform policies.
The French president expressed his frustration, warning that some digital platforms do not care about the safety of public debate or democracy, describing this as a serious and growing danger.
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