Czech oligarchs vs. Facebook

Czech oligarchs who spent their hard-stolen money buying up the Czech media are frustrated. They can exercise strict control over their own media outlets by picking the right editors-in-chief and the right guests or interview subjects, and they can agree among themselves on non-aggression pacts. But more and more of media interaction is taking place on social networks run by Americans, and Czech oligarchs have little leverage over them. Daniel Křetínský, who got fantastically rich on ČEZ assets and Russian gas, is showing his frustration the most. He divulged to Canal+ that he wants to use Le Monde to combat Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. He's already using Blesk to do this. On Fri., Blesk wrote that the 19 Czech MEPs who voted against the EU copyright directive are "traitors to Czech interests." In reality, they are "traitors" to the interests of Křetínský and the other local oligarchs who want complete and total control over the Czech media scene.