French Senate passes ‘Rioters Pay’ bill, allowing up to €10,000 in damage claims against qualifying participants and penalties for platforms

The French Senate has passed the “Rioters Pay” bill, which would make people financially liable for damage during public demonstrations and require social media platforms to remove certain content after an authority’s request.

People could be ordered to pay up to €10,000 ($11,000) for property damage even if they did not personally commit the vandalism. Liability would apply to anyone who knowingly took part in a group formed to vandalize, or remained after two police dispersal warnings.

Under the bill, platforms would have 24 hours after an authority’s request to remove content inciting violence, vandalism or insurrection. They could face blocking and delisting if they failed to comply.

To recover unpaid damages, the state could seize part of a person’s social benefits, including family allowances, housing assistance, supplements and France’s minimum-income benefit.