Last Updated:February 19, 2026, 07:28 IST Emmanuel Macron added that claims of defending free speech ring hollow without algorithmic transparency. French President Emmanuel Macron. (Image: X) French President Emmanuel Macron said the free speech defence put forward by major social media platforms is “pure bullshit,” pushing back against a key foreign policy stance of US President Donald Trump. Speaking in New Delhi on Wednesday, Macron questioned the transparency of social media algorithms and their democratic impact. “Having no clue about how their algorithm is made, how it’s tested, trained and where it will guide you — the democratic consequences of this bias could be huge,” he said, according to Bloomberg. Macron added that claims of defending free speech ring hollow without algorithmic transparency. “Some of them claim to be in favour of free speech. Ok, we are in favour of free algorithms, but if they are totally transparent,” Macron said. “Free speech is pure bullshit if nobody knows how you are guided to this so-called free speech, especially when it is guided from one hate …