France considered restricting social media and cutting mobile internet during protests

French authorities examined the possibility of restricting the use of social media, and even suspending mobile internet in certain areas, in an effort to prevent violent groups from organizing during the October 24 protests.

Politico reported that, in the week before Saturday’s protests, France’s Interior Ministry contacted telecommunications operators to discuss ways of limiting online communication.

According to information first made public by the French media outlet Blast, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu directly asked phone companies to prepare to block TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and X.

When asked by Politico, representatives of the prime minister’s office, the Technology Ministry and the Interior Ministry did not deny that the request had been made.

Sources cited by the media said the authorities were concerned that the violence recorded on October 17 might recur or escalate over the following weekend. On October 24, however, the number of incidents was significantly lower.

“Their priority was to cut off the communication channels that allow groups to gather and coordinate,” an employee of a telecommunications company said on condition of anonymity.

Such an intervention would also affect people protesting peacefully, making it harder for them to communicate.

According to sources, restricting social media to a single neighborhood is not technically feasible. In addition, cutting off mobile internet would affect essential services such as electronic payments, security systems and emergency communications.

One of the alternatives considered was disabling features that show users’ locations. The measure was intended to make it harder for people who do not know one another to organize meetups.

Meanwhile, debate continues in the French Parliament over other measures related to content posted on social media, as part of a bill called “Whoever causes harm pays.”

The initiative would impose financial liability on people who knowingly take part in riots, even if they are not the ones who directly caused property damage.

The bill also requires online platforms to remove, within 24 hours, material inciting physical or sexual assaults, theft and property destruction when it could lead to a serious breach of public order. Content inciting insurrection would have to be removed within one hour.

Other lawmakers have proposed additional measures, including the use of algorithmic video surveillance systems to identify people who cause unrest, as well as penalties for online platforms that fail to prevent the sale of stolen goods.

According to Politico, the plan to block social media was not implemented during the October 24 protests, which saw significantly fewer acts of violence than the previous weekend.