Bonum Certa Men Certa

A Look at the Latest Gross Deletionism at the EPO's 'Media Partner', French Newspaper Les Échos

A followup article about censorship at Les Échos, complete with new information about its latest censorship and its odious EPO ties

The article on Thursday (with the following text)
PSA censored part



The article soon thereafter (after all the above got silently deleted)
PSA after censorship



Summary: The EPO's bogus 'journal of record, which Team Battistelli likes to cite in order to bolster its warped version of events at the EPO while maintaining a close secret relationship with the publisher, keeps censoring its own reporters (spiked paragraphs, silently self-censored or censored after publications)

TECHRIGHTS was never a big fan of corporate media, even well before the EPO scandals. Ever since the Novell days we have seen systematic abuse in such media, which seems to care more about what brings income (e.g. advertisements) than what informs readers. History is being rewritten (revisionism) in the interests of various sponsors or potential sponsors.

"This really necessitated further investigation and we decided to do a followup story in order to show just how much of a farce Les Échos can be."Les Échos was mentioned here a few days ago after it had censored itself once again (it previously censored paragraphs critical of the EPO). Not many people know this, not even those who watch the EPO closely. This really necessitated further investigation and we decided to do a followup story in order to show just how much of a farce Les Échos can be. We patiently waited for more information before that; we got several messages about that and found some feedback on the Web rather helpful.

In the excerpt below we highlight added text and deleted text. We are still waiting for a translation of the part about the EPO.

Accueil > Dossiers thema > Transformation : mettre de l'agilité dans son organisation

Transformation : les €«ennemis€» de l’intérieur

Julie Le Bolzer | Le 19/11 à 11:39

Collaborateurs, syndicats et même patrons sont parfois si réfractaires au changement que le processus de transformation de l’entreprise s’en trouve contrarié. Les exemples de l’Office européen des brevets (OEB), Air France et KLM et de PSA.

[...]

PSA : le directoire jugé inefficace par les actionnaires

C’est une déflagration lorsque la tête de Philippe Varin, numéro un du groupe PSA, tombe le 24 novembre 2013. Annoncée, la veille, au comité de direction générale, la décision est sans appel. Et c’est Carlos Tavares qui est nommé au directoire. Qu’est-ce qui, au juste, était reproché au dirigeant et justifiait que la famille Peugeot aille recruter chez le concurrent direct, causant un transfert inédit, à ce niveau, entre PSA et Renault ? Qu’est-ce qui a, subitement, conduit Philippe Varin vers la sortie de route alors que son mandat avait été renouvelé six mois plus tôt ? Qu’est-ce qui a précipité le lancement, par les Peugeot, du processus de recrutement de Carlos Tavares, sans prendre la peine d’en informer l’ensemble des membres du conseil de surveillance (ni même l’État, pourtant impliqué dans le dossier après avoir accordé une garantie à la filiale bancaire de PSA) ?

Ce désaveu reflète une crise de confiance entre la famille actionnaire et le directoire. Surtout, les chantiers de restructuration menés en Europe (accord de compétitivité, fermeture de l’usine d’Aulnay-sous-Bois...) n’ont pas été jugés suffisants en regard des ambitions de transformation du groupe. Depuis le départ de Philippe Varin, la transformation de PSA s’est accélérée. Baptisé €« Back in the Race €» (de retour dans la course), le plan stratégique 2014-2018, présenté par Carlos Tavares en avril 2014, entend assurer le redressement de l’entreprise. Les objectifs opérationnels ? Faire de DS, Peugeot et Citroën, des marques reconnues mondialement ; rationaliser les gammes via un plan mondial concentré ; atteindre une croissance mondiale rentable à l’international ; et se moderniser pour faire face aux enjeux de compétitivité. C’est une transformation culturelle de l’entreprise qui est visée. Une conduite du changement que n’avait visiblement pas su opérer Philippe Varin.



We don't know if Julie Le Bolzer or her editor removed it. We also don't know why. All we know is, when you read something on this 'news' paper, be sure to make a snapshot because entire chunks of articles can magically vanish without prior notice. We also know, based on experience, that criticism of the EPO is not permitted there. History is being recorded selectively, and there is a monopoly on media coverage.

Recent Techrights' Posts

The End of FOSSPost (fosspost.org), It Has become an LLM Slopfarm Like FOSSLinux
These sites will never get lucky with slop. These experiments always end badly.
Gemini Links 22/05/2026: Esperanto Music History, Suspicious Adoption of Signal, and Unauthorised LLM Slop in Code
Links for the day
 
Links 22/05/2026: Ebola Crisis and Samsung Averts a Walkout With Big Bonuses
Links for the day
Links 22/05/2026: Inflation Fears and Thailand Tightens Visa Rules for Tourists From Dozens of Nations
Links for the day
EPO Staff Representation Speaks of This Week's Discussion With the EPO's Budget and Finance Committee (BFC) Amid Mass Strikes
The Central Staff Committee's outline (prepared in a rush) or the "flash report"
SLAPP Censorship - Part 84 Out of 200: New Legislation Against SLAPPs on the Way (After We Reached Out to Ministers)
They dealt with the matter individually too, but we won't share this in public, at least not at this time
The Corrupt Lecture the Non-Corrupt - Part XXX - Where Was "The Ethics and Compliance Team" When the Family of EPO President Campinos Was Caught Doing Cocaine?
It remains to be seen if national delegates will tolerate this in future meetings
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, May 21, 2026
IRC logs for Thursday, May 21, 2026
Links 21/05/2026: "Declining America" and Why Slop 'Code' is Made to Fail
Links for the day
Techrights and Tux Machines Subjected to Cyberattacks for Several Weeks
In the past I spoke to the cybercrime unit of British Police. Maybe it's time to do so again.
The Register MS Has Become a 'Content' Farm Promoting Slop for Hostile Corporations
Now they call it "PARTNER CONTENT" - not "SPONSORED" - as if semantics make the difference
Latest Example of Widespread Fake Assertions (False News) About "Hey Hi"
The false narrative of "Hey Hi layoffs"
Links 21/05/2026: Facebook Rewarded With Tax Breaks to Destroy the Environment and Cause Global Warming, Shortages, Pollution; SpaceX (SPCX) Continues Losing Billions of Dollars
Links for the day
Codecs and Software Patents - Part VIII - GNU Audio/Video Team Has Chosen the AV1 Video Codec and It Explains Why (They've Researched Their Options)
AV1 video codec will be used to encode and share GNU videos online
Dr. Stallman Helps Establish Free Software Advocacy Outside the Free Software Foundation (FSF) as Well
The ideals or principles of Free Software needn't be centralised or monopolised; they can be federated
22 Years of Tux Machines and a Community Stronger Than Ever Before
We've already received some feedback from the community and improved it accordingly
Microsoft Under Investigation for Breaches of Law in the UK
Just like the Microsofters
More Microsoft Layoffs on the Way (June and July 2026)
with or without PIPs
LWN Sponsored by the Linux Foundation (Monopolies)
We must be able to casually point this out
The Corrupt Lecture the Non-Corrupt - Part XXIX - European Patent Office (EPO) Tells Staff "Speaking up" is Good, But Not When the "Brother-in-law" of EPO's President Does Cocaine
Do we still have a functioning democracy and potent press?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
IRC logs for Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Gemini Links 21/05/2026: Immigration, Slop, and Slop 'Code' Suggestions Infesting Code Repositories
Links for the dayGemini Links 21/05/2026: Immigration, Slop, and Slop 'Code' Suggestions Infesting Code Repositories
GAFAM is Connected to Misogyny, Almost All Founders Divorced
They're not good people, even if they pay the media to pretend otherwise
SLAPP Censorship - Part 83 Out of 200: Religion is Still Alive, But for Many This Religion is Monetary (Greed, Monopolies, Corporate Power)
If all you keep boasting about is being able to afford a hotel room and some domestic flight, then maybe you have no real accomplishments and are more like a "Facebook serf" with a credit card
Oracle Seems to Have Popularised Overnight Layoffs, Now GAFAM Does the Same
layoff emails at 4 a.m. local time
A Lot of Fake News About Microsoft's LinkedIn Today, Some Comes From Slopfarms, Some Relies on Those Slopfarms
As usual, slopfarms make the Web a huge pile of garbage
IBM's Kyndryl is Circling Down the Drain, Say Kyndryl Insiders
"IBM Dinosaurs who were recycled and catapulted into the orange trash heap by IBM"
A Lot of Coverage Adding Hype Factor to Slop Bug Reports... is Made by LLM Slop
Local Privilege Escalation [...] the slop motivates some actual people to keep writing about it
Links 20/05/2026: Mass Layoffs at NPR (Bought by the Ballmers and Bill Epsteingate), Starbucks Korea CEO Fired Over ‘Tank Day’ Ad
Links for the day
Gemini Links 20/05/2026: Advantage of CD Collections, Geminaut's View of Nostr, and SSL / TLS Certificates
Links for the day
IBM is Becoming a Pile of Expired Patents and Abandoned Buildings, Assets of Little Actual Value
Having laid off a ton of people, borrowed lots of money to fake growth (by acquisition), and sent some jobs to low-paid regions where innovation isn't done
Links 20/05/2026: Looting of Americans for "White Grievance Reparations Fund"; "Mark Zuckerberg Used Shell Companies to Bully Native Hawaiians"
Links for the day
Web Browsers Are for Rendering Web Page, They Shouldn't Become PDF Editors
Linus Torvalds is quickly learning and speaking about this
SLAPP Censorship - Part 82 Out of 200: British Government Intervenes in the SLAPPs by Brett Wilson LLP
At this stage our matters are dealt with by a layer below that of the Prime Minister (adjacent to it)
LinkedIn Communications Reveal That LinkedIn - Like GitHub - Will Vanish Inside the Belly of Microsoft
This is definitely going to happen.
In Wall Street, Financial Difficulties Drive Shares Up
Wall Street doesn't work that way
The Corrupt Lecture the Non-Corrupt - Part XXVIII - European Patent Office (EPO) Guidebook Says Report Crimes Committed on EPO Premises. Some Did, But President Campinos Covers up for the Culprits.
The staff has long been on strike and the union (SUEPO) organised an enhanced day of action just two days ago
Gemini Links 20/05/2026: Fall of an Empire, "High Tech is a Social Exercise", and Big Cameras
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, May 19, 2026
IRC logs for Tuesday, May 19, 2026