Two days before a planned demonstration on October 24, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu asked Orange, SFR, Free, and Bouygues Telecom to prepare to block access to TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and X, according to reporting by Blast.
Blast obtained a letter and meeting minutes from discussions between the government and the operators, which reveal the carriers expressed skepticism about the plan. The document indicates the government was preparing for a potential DNS block—a temporary technical measure to restrict access to these platforms.
This approach would not be the French government’s first use of such measures. According to the source material, authorities had already employed similar connectivity restrictions in New Caledonia in 2024. However, that earlier action was overturned by France’s highest administrative court, the Conseil d’État, which found the measure to violate civil liberties.
The October 24 date referenced in the government request corresponded to a planned public demonstration in France. The preparation order suggests the government anticipated potential unrest and sought to preemptively control information flow through social media during that period.
The involvement of France’s four major internet service providers—Orange, SFR, Free, and Bouygues Telecom—indicates the scale of coordination required to execute such a block. The operators’ documented doubts suggest technical, legal, or practical concerns about implementing the measure, though the specific nature of their objections is not detailed in the available reporting.
The revelation comes amid ongoing global debates about government authority to restrict digital platforms and the legal boundaries of such restrictions. France’s constitutional and administrative frameworks have already shown willingness to challenge such measures through judicial review, as evidenced by the Conseil d’État’s decision regarding the New Caledonia action.
Key facts
- Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu requested Orange, SFR, Free, and Bouygues Telecom prepare DNS blocks for TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and X two days before October 24
- The request aimed to restrict access ahead of a planned demonstration
- ISP operators expressed doubts about implementing the measure
- France had previously used similar connectivity restrictions in New Caledonia in 2024
- That earlier measure was overturned by the Conseil d’État as a violation of civil liberties