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

Microsofters' SLAPP Censorship - Part 11 Out of 200: Cannot Censor His Spouse, Accusations Are Repeated Today
He already has a history of threatening to sue gay people in America; he cannot take criticism too well
"Alternative to Microsoft Office" Must Use Free/Open Standards/Formats for Real Sovereignty
It would make sense for the EU to invest in its own workers and its own software projects, more so now that there are hostile countries both to the east and to the west
When Everybody Has a Right/Access to An Attorney/Lawyer (But Some Get Funding From Malicious American Corporations to Spend a Million Dollars on Many Lawyers and Several Barristers)
And send about 75 KG of legal papers to the residence of the "opponent"
 
Universities Became Bad Places for Work
What happened to academia?
Reporting New and Suppressed Information is What Journalism is All About
In the domain of Free software, there are very few sites out there that offer exclusive coverage on community affairs and there are many gagging/censorship attempts
The Limits of Speech and the Rationale of Limitations
it seems to be part of an international trend
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, March 13, 2026
IRC logs for Friday, March 13, 2026
Gemini Links 14/03/2026: Goodness, AD534 Multiplier Module, and Extroverts Online
Links for the day
Atlassian Corp: We're Doing Layoffs Because of "Hey Hi"; Wall Street: Atlassian Corp is Just a Failing Business
Don't ask "the media"
Price of Storage, Price of Energy... What Next?
EPO workers are going on strike because their salaries don't keep up with price increases and tech companies without connections in "the channel" face long delays, low availability, and high prices (no "bulk" purchases), which further solidifies monopolies.
Don't Forget Red Hat's RTO (Return-to-office) Layoffs
How many people still remember that Red Hat did the same thing?
Reminder: Microsoft silent Layoffs by RTO (Commute Time and Lack of Comfort/Work Satisfaction) Already in Effect This Year
It's difficult to measure how many employees have already "left on their own" due to the RTO policy
Founder of IBM Ventures Has Just Quit IBM
Some people leave IBM and many people 'leave' IBM
Signs of Impeding Mass Layoffs - Not Just Quiet Layoffs - at Microsoft
Beneath the surface there are waves of layoffs and even entire teams are let go
Career Science and Academia as Corporate Propaganda 'on Tap'
article about surveillance
Veteran GNU/Linux Journalist Jack Wallen Tries Geminispace and Likes It
It'll turn 7 some time soon
Scheduled Maintenance Tonight
There will be similar work early next week
IBM Has No Clue How to Integrate Companies Like Red Hat
IBM is failing to respect this company's culture
Fake Articles From Sites With "Linux" in Their Name/Domain Name
we can at least hope that linuxteck.com made a decision to quit slop
Links 13/03/2026: New US Weapons for Taiwan, Pakistan Air Strikes Hit Kabul
Links for the day
Gemini Links 13/03/2026: Exhaustion and Smartphone Addiction
Links for the day
Friday the 13th & Debian Developers afraid to nominate in DPL elections
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 13/03/2026: Chatbot "Pentagon Contract" (Bailout) and Secret Service Ditches Slop Pusher
Links for the day
European Qualifying Examination (EQE) Being Reduced to Pieces of Papers One Can Buy, Patent System Rapidly Losing Its Legitimacy
Welcome to the "new Europe"
Priorities in 2026
2026 is an interesting year
Willis Towers Watson (WTW) Producing More Propaganda for EPO "Cocaine Communication Managers"
The Local Staff Committee The Hague (LSCTH) has this new paper about Willis Towers Watson (WTW) and its annual EPO-sponsored propaganda, pretending all is well when things are clearly dire
Head of Microsoft Office and Microsoft 360 is Leaving Microsoft Amid Problems and Mass Layoffs
Microsoft is like a "legacy" company
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, March 12, 2026
IRC logs for Thursday, March 12, 2026
Gemini Links 13/03/2026: "Someone to Take Over Antenna" and Random Seed/RNG
Links for the day
By Expanding to Advocacy of Ponzi Schemes and Bill Epsteingate (Sex Trafficking), Linux Foundation Revenue Grew to $220,730,594, But Salary of Linus Torvalds Not Even in Top 10 Anymore!
true!
In the Name of Transparency, Today We Show Our Defence and Counterclaim
already uploaded by the other side
IBM Cannot Even Do Payroll, Now a "Legitimate Target" of Iran
Missiles or not, it seems like IBM systems will be targeted more by cybercriminals
Links 12/03/2026: Heating Bills to Soar, "Banks in Gulf Evacuate Their Offices"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 12/03/2026: On Phone Anxiety and Bjorn "Looking for Someone to Take Over Antenna"
Links for the day
Cultification: best candidates avoiding Debian leader elections
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Richard Stallman (RMS) et al Cited in 'Nature' (Journal/Site) Today, "CODE beyond FAIR"
Under Open Access
The Register MS, on Verge of Collapse, Keeps Promoting a Ponzi Scheme for China
Publishers that participate in this simply don't care about their readers
Overview of False Narratives and Lies Used to Lower Salaries at the European Patent Office (EPO), Abandoning Patent Quality and the EPC
Many of the latter slides are the same as Munich's
Links 12/03/2026: Atlassian Layoffs, GAFAN Covering up Slop-Induced Outages, "Age-verification in Operating Systems and the Internet"
Links for the day
The EPO's President, Who Covers Up Cocaine Use, is Trying to Suppress Communication Between EPO Staff Under the Guise of 'Privacy' (and in Defiance of a Court Ruling)
Why does Europe's second-largest institution: 1) curtail communication among staff (including union) and 2) go out of its way to avoid obeying a court order from ILOAT in Geneva?
Exactly One Week Before Next EPO Strike, Media Intentionally Not Mentioning EPO Strikes
One form of propaganda technique/s involves the systematic suppression of certain topics, or of particular "narratives"
Microsofters' SLAPP Censorship - Part 10 Out of 200: Showing Public Tweets is Not a Privacy Violation, But This Isn't About Justice, It's About Censorship
It's time to put a stop to this abuse of process (which is what the Judge deemed it to be last year)
Suicide of disgruntled employee? Bus fire at Kerzers / Chiètres, Switzerland, at least six dead
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
IRC logs for Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Gemini Links 12/03/2026: "on Urbit" and the True Cost (or Criticism) of "Social Control Media"
Links for the day