France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, has won a legal battle against two women who falsely claimed she was transgender.
The Paris court ruling orders them to pay €8,000 (£6,750) in damages to Macron and €5,000 to her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux.
The case has highlighted the widespread impact of online disinformation, which spread beyond France to the US, and involved conspiracy theories pushed by far-right groups.
This ruling represents a significant stance against the growing problem of fake news and defamatory online content.
Combatting online disinformation
The Paris court’s decision on Thursday represents a significant step in combatting disinformation, especially when it targets high-profile individuals.
The two women involved, Amandine Roy, a self-proclaimed spiritual medium, and Natacha Rey, who calls herself an independent journalist, posted a YouTube video in December 2021 alleging that Brigitte Macron was a man named Jean-Michel.
These false claims gained traction, circulating widely on social media just before the 2022 French presidential election.
Macron, formerly Brigitte Trogneux, filed a libel complaint following the viral video and the rapid spread of baseless accusations.
Posts suggested that she had never existed as a female and was her brother, Jean-Michel, who had changed gender and assumed her identity.
The court ruled that Roy and Rey must pay €8,000 in damages to Macron and an additional €5,000 to Jean-Michel Trogneux. Both women were also given a suspended fine of €500.
False claims extended beyond France
The disinformation campaign did not remain confined to France.
It extended internationally, reaching the US where similar defamatory claims against Macron appeared on YouTube in a now-deleted video ahead of the November midterm elections.
This shows how quickly false information can spread across borders, becoming an issue not only of defamation but also of misinformation impacting international politics.
These tactics of spreading false claims are not isolated to Macron.
Several high-profile women, including former US First Lady Michelle Obama, US vice-president and presidential candidate Kamala Harris, and former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, have also been subjected to similar falsehoods aimed at their gender or sexuality.
Such targeted disinformation campaigns are often used to mock or discredit their public personas.
Brigitte Macron’s response
Brigitte Macron, 71, did not attend the June trial or the court ruling on Thursday. However, she remains an active figure in public life.
Coincidentally, the same day the court’s ruling came through, she made her debut on Netflix, playing herself in the popular series Emily in Paris.
The show’s star, Lily Collins, revealed that the idea of Macron’s cameo came about when she and the show’s creator, Darren Star, met Macron at the Elysée Palace in December 2022.
While the case underscores the significant legal and social consequences of spreading false information, it also highlights the broader cultural impact of Macron’s public life.
The court ruling may deter similar future disinformation efforts, setting a precedent for holding individuals accountable for defamatory statements spread online.
The outcome of this case serves as a reminder of the legal repercussions that come with spreading unverified and harmful information, particularly online.
The court’s decision to penalize Roy and Rey reflects an effort to curb the spread of defamatory content, especially against public figures.
As digital platforms continue to grow, so does the responsibility to ensure the integrity and accuracy of information shared globally.
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