Why French Antitrust Laws Are Outdated

Enacted before the advent of the internet, French laws intended to protect press pluralism no longer address the challenges posed by the concentration of digital media. A look back at a legal framework that has become largely obsolete.

This is a major victory. After months of intense parliamentary debate, during which the Senate systematically rejected the bill proposed by the National Assembly, an ambitious reform was adopted on its final reading by the lower house. The date is September 12, 1984, in Paris. Socialist lawmakers are convinced they have made history in the French press by voting in favor of a law aimed at combating media concentration.

L’objet est en réalité conçu pour réduire l’influence d’un homme: Robert Hersant. Emblématique patron du Figaro, il détient près d’une quinzaine de titres, parmi lesquels figurent notamment Lâ