Following the death of a 17-year-old boy shot by police in France, the country is in turmoil and the French are in a state of revolt. In recent days, several videos have been shared on news sites and social media showing police spraying tear gas as the increasingly angry crowd burns cars and loots.
French President Emmanuel Macron has come to the conclusion that social media such as Snapchat and TikTok are mainly to blame for the riots in other parts of the country. But he also believes that video games are partly responsible. He has said that he plans to work with the tech giants to remove the most sensitive material from the services and that he expects them to feel and take responsibility. A spokesperson for Snapchat said that they are already looking into it and that they always have zero tolerance for content that contains violence in any form, but that they do allow content that reports on events in a responsible and accurate way.
TV and video games also received a verbal slap in the face from the French President, as he believes that many of those who are now roaming the streets are living out their fantasies and have been influenced to do so by the games they play. This is certainly not the first time that games have been blamed for various acts of violence and it will not be the last, despite being repeatedly refuted by experts around the world.
Thanks, Kotaku.