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What does French law say about freedom of expression, on social media as elsewhere?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: It is a right, but some statements are punished by law. Freedom of expression is a right, but it has limits. The law punishes insults and hateful statements, for example. You may criticise a religion, but not insult people.
Sources: Sheet “Le blasphème” (French), read on 21 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✗ It is a right with no limit at allC'est un droit sans aucune limiteYou cannot say anything at all: insults and hatred are punished.
- ✗ It is a right only for people who voteC'est un droit réservé aux personnes qui votentEveryone can speak, write and publish freely. There is no voting condition.
- ✗ It is forbidden if you criticise a religionC'est interdit si on critique une religionCriticising a religion is not forbidden in France.
- ✓ It is a right, but some statements are punished by lawC'est un droit, mais certains propos sont punis par la loiCorrect answer. Freedom of expression is a right, but it has limits. The law punishes insults and hateful statements, for example. You may criticise a religion, but not insult people.
What the source says
« Au nom de la liberté d'expression, même si le blasphème n’est pas interdit, on ne peut pas dire tout et n’importe quoi. »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 21 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Que dit la loi française sur la liberté d'expression, sur les réseaux sociaux comme ailleurs ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question comes from the list of the naturalisation version of the exam (PDF relayed by Le Français des affaires, read on 14 October 2026; the Ministry's own page for this list did not answer). The list's wording: “La liberté d'expression sur les réseaux sociaux en France est :”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “Le blasphème” (French).
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