Discernment that shatters online falsehoods
A French court鈥檚 ruling on the cyberharassment of Brigitte Macron underscores the tension between free expression and algorithms that amplify untruths. Exercising moral and spiritual judgment can help online contributors bless rather than injure others.
French President and first lady, Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, awaited visiting dignitaries at the 脡lys茅e Palace in December 2025: The couple are pursuing legal action against what they deem online harassment.
Sipa via AP Images
The private lives of political leaders have long been fair game for opponents and investigative reporters 鈥� and, increasingly, amateur internet sleuths and online provocateurs. When the high-profile individuals are female, whether leaders themselves or their wives or partners, studies show that the scrutiny tends to be harsher and more speculative.
鈥淭he scandalization and personalization of news is profitable,鈥� observed the Character Assassination and Reputation Politics Research Lab, a joint initiative between an American and a Dutch university. However, this trend not only 鈥渄iminish[es] the public standing or credibility of the politician, but ... also divert[s] attention from substantive policy discussions.鈥�
Progressively powerful internet-enabled searching and sharing amplifies both facts and fictions, honest persuasion as well as embedded prejudices. This week, , a Paris court convicted 10 individuals of 鈥渄egrading, insulting, and malicious鈥� cyberharassment of French first lady Brigitte Macron. Seven of the defendants claimed their posts were meant in jest or constituted legitimate debate.
Within democracies, it seems, the demand confronting citizens and governments is how to better practice and protect core values that undergird freedom of speech and expression 鈥� as well as civic dialogue that avoids rancor.
In the United States, cherished First Amendment rights and definitions of truth, lies, and intended malice are at the heart of a defamation lawsuit that Ms. Macron and her husband, Emmanuel Macron, have filed in Delaware. They allege that conservative American influencer Candace Owens uses a business model of spreading false information, and is running a 鈥渃ampaign of global humiliation鈥� in promoting claims that Ms. Macron is male by birth. With 5.6 million subscribers on YouTube and over 6.5 million on Instagram, Ms. Owens鈥� statements have a wide reach.
The online proliferation of contradictory or unverifiable information from thousands of sites and content creators often leaves social media followers confused and at a loss over what to believe. How can individuals protect themselves from being targeted or taken in by such claims?聽
For Rev. David Wilson Rogers, a minister and regular media contributor, the imperative for social media users and consumers is 鈥渞efusing to outsource our moral and spiritual judgment to a machine, a meme, or realistic video.鈥� As he wrote in the Carlsbad Current-Argus last month, securing 鈥渢he future of truth鈥� requires exercising 鈥渙ur character, our discernment, our humility ... prayerful reflection and diligent research.鈥�
Nearly 120 years ago, during an era rife with the yellow journalism that perhaps presaged today鈥檚 internet 鈥渟lop鈥� and 鈥渞age-baiting,鈥� it was just such discernment and prayerful reflection that led religious pioneer Mary Baker Eddy to found this publication.
Her object in doing so 鈥� 鈥渢o injure no man, but to bless all mankind鈥� 鈥� is a fitting standard for today鈥檚 online culture.