French President Emmanuel Macron has openly criticized social media executives for their claims that they advocate for freedom of expression. During discussions surrounding the influence of opaque algorithms on democracy, Macron warns about the negative impacts these platforms can have, particularly on children and young people. As a response, several Western countries are implementing measures to limit the access of minors to social media, with Australia already establishing an age restriction framework.

Furthermore, investigations are ongoing in many countries regarding the distribution of inappropriate content, including sexual images of children by artificial intelligence chatbots on the social media platform X. This has sparked significant concern regarding the safety of vulnerable populations online. Social media companies have resisted these government initiatives, arguing that they infringe upon free expression rights and label these efforts as attempts at censorship.

The ongoing debate raises critical questions about balancing freedom of expression with the need to protect minors and ensure public safety in the digital age. While some governments believe that intervention is necessary to combat the adverse effects of social media, the tech companies contend that imposing restrictions undermines the foundational principles of free speech that they claim to uphold.