France considered blocking social media and mobile internet during protests

The French government explored ways to block social media and mobile internet in specific areas during Saturday’s protests to prevent demonstrators from coordinating, Anadolu Agency reported, citing a report by Politico.

In the week before Oct. 24, the Interior Ministry contacted telecom operators to discuss cutting access to social networks or mobile internet in some areas, Politico reported, citing a government official and an employee of a telecom company.

Those discussions led Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to ask telecom operators to be ready to block access to some social media platforms, including the US company “X”. French digital outlet “Blast” revealed the letter and first reported the government’s request.

Officials from Lecornu’s office, the Technology Ministry and the Interior Ministry neither denied the move nor the existence of the letter, according to the report.

“What they wanted, above all, was to block the communication channels that allow gangs to meet up and organize,” an employee of a telecommunications provider said, speaking anonymously.

The government also considered disabling location-sharing features to prevent gatherings of people who did not know one another, an official from the prime minister’s office said.

The Interior Ministry said Sunday that authorities had arrested more than 1,300 people during nationwide demonstrations on Saturday. It said 53 security personnel were injured.

According to the ministry, 410,000 people took part in demonstrations across France, including 110,000 in Paris. Trade unions estimated the nationwide turnout at nearly 800,000, with 250,000 protesters in the capital.

The ministry also reported that 24 businesses were looted during the demonstrations, compared with 1,522 a week earlier, a decline of more than 98%.

Melike Pala in Brussels contributed to the report.