can Arcom regulate the new reality TV “bordering on pornography”, according to the Minister of Culture?

Culture Minister Rima Abdul-Malak claims that Arcom is competent to regulate the trashy reality show “Frenchie Shore”, but this is false.

“We are on the verge of pornography.” This is how the Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul-Malak, describes “Frenchie Shore”, the new French reality show which is causing a sensation. The images and conversations are trashy, with alcohol, barely blurred sex scenes and unlimited vulgarity, to make the former Loft Story candidates who had themselves caused a scandal 20 years ago pale.

In a newspaper interview The Parisian published Monday, November 20, the minister is concerned about the broadcast of extracts from the show on social networks because “anyone can come across it”, in particular children under 16 years of age for whom the program is nevertheless prohibited. Rima Abdul Malak assures that “the Arcom [l’autorité de régulation de l’audiovisuel et du numérique]contrary to what I have read, has jurisdiction over platforms for the protection of minors”. Really ?

Arcom, not competent to regulate the broadcast of the show…

But the minister is wrong: Arcom cannot intervene. Contacted by franceinfo, the authority assures that it is not competent to regulate the program, neither on television nor on the internet, even if minors risk coming across images extracted from the episodes.

First of all, Arcom cannot prevent or regulate the broadcast of “Frenchie Shore” because the reality show is broadcast on the MTV France channel and on the Paramount+ platform, both of which escape French legislation: MTV France, unlike as its name suggests, is based in the Czech Republic and Paramount+ in Germany. They therefore depend on the legislation of these two countries.

The regulator can only ask its Czech and German counterparts to analyze this reality show, which it did in two letters dated November 22 that Vrai ou Faux was able to consult.

Roch-Olivier Maistre, its president, writes: “The content of the first two episodes of the Frenchie Shore program, broadcast on MTV France on Saturday November 11 from 11 p.m., aroused strong reactions in France. This program is indeed likely to raise questions with regard to the objectives, “on the one hand, respect and protection of human dignity and, on the other hand, the protection of minors.”

He concludes : “I would therefore be grateful if you would analyze this program with regard to applicable law.”

Me after watching The #FrenchieShore : pic.twitter.com/YqoTEifGDE

— Seif (@YaSebbaYaSebba) November 15, 2023

…nor the publication of sexual content on social networks

Arcom’s power over sexual content distributed on the internet is also limited, even when it comes to protecting minors. It can only regulate pornographic sites by asking them to respect the law and not be accessible to minors, as explained on its website, but it can do nothing against the dissemination of sexual images on social networks.

On Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, the regulator only has jurisdiction to act against online hatred and disinformation. And even in these areas, “Arcom has no control over the content”, the authority assured franceinfo, it cannot request its deletion. The authority can only ensure that networks put in place regulatory tools against online hatred and disinformation, as its site specifies.

Concerning “Frenchie Shore”, even if this does not fall within its area of ​​expertise, the regulator still contacted social networks to find out if they were particularly monitoring the broadcast of extracts from the trashy show. They assured him yes.

The Arcom, which actually received “very little” reports on this subject, cannot do more. Or else, the Minister of Culture herself should consider giving her more powers.