A dramatic “breaking news” video claiming that French President Emmanuel Macron had been overthrown spread rapidly online this week, fooling millions before being exposed as entirely fake. The clip appeared as a Facebook reel, presented as a live report by a supposed journalist from a French news channel called “Live 24”, a broadcaster that does not exist. Speaking directly to the camera, the AI-generated “reporter” claimed that a military coup was underway and that Macron may have been deposed by an unnamed colonel. Behind her, viewers could see a glowing Eiffel Tower, flashing police lights, armed soldiers and what appeared to be stunned civilians trying to peer past security cordons. But, none of it was real.

How the video fooled millions

The clip leaned heavily on familiar visuals of Paris and the urgency of a live news format. A helicopter hovered overhead, police vehicles lined the streets, and the narration mimicked the tone of genuine breaking news coverage.

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The video was uploaded by an account using the alias “ISLAM,” and racked up around 13 million views within days, spreading far beyond France and even reaching political leaders abroad.

Macron hears about the “coup” from Africa

The scale of the misinformation became clear when Macron himself was contacted by an African head of state.

“One of my African counterparts sent me a message: ‘Dear president, what is happening in your country?’,” Macron told regional newspaper La Provence during a visit to Marseille.

Initially amused, the French president said he quickly realised the seriousness of the situation and instructed his team to report the video to Meta, Facebook’s parent company.

Macron slams Meta’s slow response

The French president stated that Meta initially refused to remove the video, arguing it did not violate the platform’s rules. “These people are mocking us,” Macron said. “They don’t care about keeping public debates healthy; they mock the sovereignty of democracies and are putting us in danger”

“I tend to think that I have more leverage than most […] Well, it doesn’t work. As you can see, we’re not well-enough equipped,” he added, his frustration appearing to be aimed at major US tech firms.

Earlier this year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the rollback of many fact-checking measures on Facebook and Instagram, a decision critics warned would open the door to more viral falsehoods.

Still online, barely flagged

Even three days after Macron raised the issue, the video remained accessible online, carrying only a small disclaimer stating that it “may have been digitally created or altered to seem real.” It was eventually taken down.

Not an isolated incident?

This was not the first time Macron or France has been targeted by AI-driven fake news.

Earlier this month, another fabricated coup video surfaced online, falsely attributed to France 24’s sister outlet RFI. That clip drew more than three million views before disappearing.