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French oppose digital revolution to protect culture and language

In latest attack culture minister accuses Amazon of destroying bookshops as France wages war against the cultural impact of the internet.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

The French love a good revolution. But not if it’s digital, reports The Financial Times.

That is the message France has been transmitting as the country continues to wage war against the cultural impact of the internet.

The latest attack came on Tuesday as Aurélie Filippetti, the culture minister, accused online retailer Amazon of undercutting traditional rivals and destroying bookshops.

France’s so-called “L’exception culturelle” policy, introduced in 1993, was designed to protect French culture from market forces and foreign competition – otherwise known as domination of English language music and films.

It is all pretty ironic for a country which is credited for building the first proto-internet, Minitel.

Read more of this report from The Financial Times