France’s government has urged telecommunications operators to prepare for a possible temporary suspension of access to social media platforms during protests, as demonstrations over the cost of living spread across several European countries and nearly 1,000 people were detained in France.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reportedly sent a letter on Thursday to Orange, SFR, Free and Bouygues Telecom, asking them to be ready to restrict access to platforms including TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat if violence erupted during Saturday’s demonstrations.
The request, first reported by French online outlet Blast, came ahead of renewed protests by the Yellow Vests movement, which returned to the streets to demonstrate against the rising cost of living.
Lecornu said a “convergence of several protest and activist movements” had contributed to the unrest, adding that some individuals “took advantage of the resulting disorder to smash, damage, set fire to, ransack and loot”.
In his letter, the prime minister argued that social media platforms had played a significant role in both spreading protest messages and coordinating violent activity.
“Clearly, several social media platforms played a decisive role not only in the crystallisation and viral spread of unlawful slogans but also as tools for the operational coordination of violence during the demonstration,” he said.
The government reportedly sought to include X, owned by Elon Musk, in the proposed restrictions after the letter was sent.
According to meeting minutes cited by Blast, government officials and the operators’ legal directors also held an online meeting before the demonstrations, during which authorities proposed limiting any restrictions to mobile phones in specific areas.
Telecommunications companies reportedly expressed reservations, saying they lacked the capacity to implement the measures at short notice.
The French government has not publicly responded to Blast’s report.
The proposal comes amid wider concerns over the authorities’ response to unrest and the role of digital platforms in coordinating demonstrations.
In 2024, the French government blocked access to TikTok during protests in New Caledonia, but France’s Council of State overturned the restriction in 2025.
Meanwhile, the latest demonstrations have extended beyond their original focus on education and public services, with protests initially driven by students angry over teacher shortages, inadequate school buildings and insufficient investment in education.
Authorities deployed approximately 70,000 police officers across France to respond to the unrest, while reports indicated that nearly 1,000 people had been detained.
Police fired tear gas at demonstrators in Paris as clashes broke out between officers and protesters.
The unrest also drew attention beyond France, with demonstrations and clashes reported in Italy, Spain and Albania on Saturday.
In Italy, protesters clashed with police in Turin, Rome and Bologna.
Footage aired by GB News showed an officer repeatedly striking a demonstrator with a baton while he lay on the ground blocking a vehicle.
Police also used tear gas to disperse crowds in Rome, where demonstrators were seen running through the streets.
Italian police said at least 371 people had been detained and nine arrested.
In Spain, approximately 100 people were arrested in Barcelona after hooded rioters looted shops and set fire to street furniture around the central Plaza de Catalunya.
Spanish authorities said about a quarter of those arrested were minors.
In Albania, protesters calling for the resignation of the country’s prime minister clashed with police, with videos appearing to show an officer catching fire after a suspected Molotov cocktail was thrown.
Rioters also set fire to government buildings and banks, smashed shop windows and pulled up paving stones to throw at police.
The protests have also prompted calls for demonstrations elsewhere, with Green councillors in the United Kingdom encouraging people inspired by events in France to join a march in London.