France presses platforms over stolen goods as broader protest restrictions remain unclear

France has confirmed emergency discussions with online marketplaces following looting during October protests. The government said platforms committed to stronger action against listings for stolen merchandise. Separate claims that officials demanded restrictions on protest footage and AI-altered imagery remain unverified.

Commerce minister Serge Papin and digital minister Anne le Hénanff convened the discussions after violence on October 17 and 18. The government said at least 3,000 businesses suffered damage or looting. Platforms invited included Vinted, eBay, Amazon, Leboncoin, Meta and TikTok.

Vinted said it had removed potentially suspicious listings and increased monitoring after the weekend unrest. eBay said it could not establish whether listings connected to the thefts had increased. Those statements leave the scale of stolen-goods sales on individual platforms unresolved.

The government expects an initial accounting of removals, enforcement measures and referrals within 48 hours. Platforms also committed to closer cooperation with investigators and stronger monitoring of suspicious offers. A government coordination unit will oversee marketplace activity.