France readies social media blackout for Yellow Vest protests

Government directive

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu reportedly instructed the nation's largest telecom operators on Thursday to prepare for the possible suspension of social media access during weekend protests, according to French investigative outlet Blast. The directive, delivered via letter to Orange, SFR, Free and Bouygues Telecom, called for temporary blocks on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and X should violence erupt during the demonstrations scheduled for Saturday. Cabinet members and the operators' legal directors convened online ahead of the weekend to discuss implementation details.

According to meeting minutes reviewed by Blast, officials sought to limit any platform restrictions to cellular networks and specific geographic areas — not nationwide blackouts. The telecom companies pushed back against the proposal, saying they lacked the technical capacity to deploy such measures on short notice. The government has not responded to the report.

Precedent and detentions

The reported request evokes previous restrictions imposed during 2024 protests in New Caledonia, when authorities blocked TikTok access across the territory. France's Council of State overturned that decision in 2025, ruling against the government's authority to restrict platform access in the overseas territory. The Yellow Vests movement returned to the streets on Saturday to demonstrate against rising living costs, with authorities detaining approximately 1,000 participants in the unrest.