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France has asked telecom operators to be ready to suspend access to social media platforms in the event of violence during protests this weekend, according to media reports.
French online outlet Blast reported that Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu sent a letter Thursday to representatives of Orange, SFR, Free and Bouygues Telecom, major telecom operators in France.
The letter was sent ahead of Saturday’s Yellow Vests protests. The Yellow Vests movement, named after the high-visibility vests worn by demonstrators, has staged protests over the rising cost of living.
The letter reportedly asked the operators to be prepared to temporarily block access to platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and X if violence broke out during the demonstrations.
Members of Lecornu’s Cabinet also met online with the operators’ legal directors in the run-up to the weekend protests. According to the meeting minutes, the government wanted any restrictions on access to the platforms to be limited to cellphones and specific areas.
The operators expressed reservations about the government’s request, the minutes showed. They said they lacked the capacity to implement the measures in the short term.
The government has not yet responded to Blast’s report.
France has restricted access to a social media platform during unrest before. In 2024, the French government blocked access to TikTok during protests in New Caledonia, a French territory in the South Pacific.
In 2025, the Council of State, France’s highest administrative court, overturned the government’s decision to restrict access to the platform in the territory.
The Yellow Vests movement returned to the streets Saturday to protest the rising cost of living. Approximately 1,000 people have been detained in the demonstrations.
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