Two Algerian influencers were arrested in France for glorifying terrorism and inciting hatred, in the context of videos broadcast on TikTok, the Chinese mobile application for sharing short videos. These arrests raise questions about the possible use of such figures by Algeria to sow trouble and destabilize France, a country with which it has been at odds since July 2024.
In Brest, Youcef A., 25, was arrested in a working-class neighborhood, in the company of an alleged accomplice, aged 41. Both were placed in police custody for acts of condoning an act of terrorism and provoking hatred, according to the Brest public prosecutor, Camille Miansoni. The same day, another Algerian influencer, known under the pseudonym “Imadtintin”, was arrested in Échirolles, near Grenoble, for racist and religious death threats.
The incriminated videos, published on TikTok, called in Arabic, with French subtitles, to commit attacks on French soil. According to the authorities, these calls for violence and hatred raise concerns about attempts at manipulation orchestrated from abroad. “Given France’s relationship with Algeria, we can wonder if there is not a desire to send people to destabilize the country”declared Philippe Guibert, political analyst and specialist in strategic issues.
These influencers, who have hundreds of thousands of followers, are accused of using their notoriety to spread subversive messages. The Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, welcomed these arrests, affirming that “Nothing will be allowed to pass in the face of such behavior.”
Profiles already monitored
Youcef A., born in Mostaganem in Algeria, had obtained a residence permit in France in 2023, but was already subject to an obligation to leave the territory due to a conviction for damage during the 2023 riots. Imadtintin, for his part, had published videos threatening to “burn alive, kill and rape on French soil”according to a tweet relayed by Bruno Retailleau.
Ongoing investigations aim to determine whether these actions are part of a broader strategy of hybrid warfare, where agents of influence could be mobilized to disrupt the social order or exacerbate tensions in targeted states.
The TikTok platform confirmed that it had removed the accounts concerned for violating community rules and removed several copies of the reported videos.
