France Nearly Blocked Major Social Platforms This Weekend
The French Prime Minister's office (Matignon) had a signed letter from October 22 ordering telecoms to cut TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram — without publishing it in the official journal. Telecom operators reportedly demanded a formal legal text before complying.
What we know
An account on X revealed that Matignon had a letter signed on October 22 ordering social media blackouts — but attempted to execute it without a trace in the Journal Officiel (France's official legal gazette). Telecom operator Orange reportedly demanded a formal official text before acting. A follow-up post noted that 'when it's the telecom operators reminding the government of the rule of law... something has really gone off the rails.' The post drew 1,734 likes and 1,099 RTs, making it one of the most-shared items in this feed.
How the story developed
The French Prime Minister's office (Matignon) had a signed letter from October 22 ordering telecoms to cut TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram — without publishing it in the official journal. Telecom operators reportedly demanded a formal legal text before complying.
PM Sébastien Lecornu reportedly sent a letter to French telecoms asking them to be ready to cut access to TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and X ahead of October 24 protests.
Reports of rioting and looting in Barcelona went viral, while France's PM ordered telecom companies to be ready to shut down TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and X ahead of October 24 protests — the most-viewed tweet in this entire dataset.
By the Global Eye 24 desk, with AI assistance. Updated as the story develops. Spot an error? Write to corrections@globaleye24.com.