French PM Asked Telecoms to Prepare 4-App Social Media Block During Protests
Updated
Updated · POLITICO Europe · Oct 27
French PM Asked Telecoms to Prepare 4-App Social Media Block During Protests
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO Europe · Oct 27
Summary
Sébastien Lecornu asked French telecom operators to be ready to block TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and X around last Saturday's protests, according to two people familiar with the plan.
In the week before Oct. 24, the interior ministry explored cutting access to social networks — or even mobile internet in specific areas — to stop rioters from coordinating.
The request surfaced through a letter first revealed by digital outlet Blast, while a Prime Minister's Office official and a telecom employee confirmed the government's outreach.
The episode shows France weighing targeted internet restrictions as a public-order tool during unrest, extending beyond platform-specific moderation or policing measures.