French Gov’t Bans TikTok Amid Violent Protests

The French government has announced a ban on social media platform TikTok to tackle the riots on Pacific Island overseas territory from escalating.

The app will be blocked as part of a state of emergency measure, which includes the deployment of the Army and a curfew on the island.

France’s Prime Minister Gabriel Attal in a statement said, “The popular video-sharing app will be shut down as part of a state of emergency which includes the deployment of the army and a curfew on the island of around 270,000 inhabitants.”

Protests had broken out after French lawmakers approved a draft law giving long-term island residents voting rights, sparking anger and demonstrations.

The pro-independence movements in New Caledonia have voiced concerns that the proposed law would dilute the political power and representation of the indigenous Kanak people, potentially undermining their voice and influence in local governance.

According to France’s interior minister Gérald Darmanin, “Four people have died and hundreds have been injured.”

Meanwhile, during a chaotic period in July 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron had suggested the possibility of temporarily suspending social media platforms like Snapchat and TikTok to curb the spread of information and contain civil unrest in metropolitan France, which erupted in response to the fatal shooting of a teenager by a police officer.

However, the proposal was met with widespread criticism, with many arguing that it mirrors the censorship tactics employed by authoritarian governments in China, Myanmar, and Iran, which suppress freedom of expression and silence dissenting voices.