France bans Twitter and Facebook from national TV

Christine Kelly, spokeswoman for the the French government broadcasting authority, said, "Why give preference to Facebook, which is worth billions of dollars, when there are other social networks that are struggling for recognition? This would be a distortion of competition.

"If we allow Facebook and Twitter to be cited on air, it's opening a Pandora's box. Other social networks will complain to us, saying 'Why not us?' "

France's president Nicholas Sarkozy has previously hinted at plans for greater regulation of the internet. He told the recent G8 summit that there were 'red lines' when it came to the aspirations of major internet players.

Reporters in France are reportedly following the ban, making only general reference to social networking at the end of their reports.