In France, the many lawsuits and also legal victories against the mandatory rollout of smart meters are now leading to a broader debate about the reconciliation of technological developments and individual rights, especially when it comes to digital technology being installed in people’s private spaces.
Translated from French:
“Towards redefining rights in the light of imposed technologies
Cascina’s legal victory could spark a fundamental movement. Anti-smart meter associations are already preparing more than 1200 similar lawsuits throughout the country. This increasing mobilization could force the government to revise their approach to technological rollout.
The government seems to be aware of the extent of the protest. The Ecological Transition Minister has announced a “multidisciplinary audit” for June 2025 involving lawyers, doctors and consumer organisations – a first since the controversial launch of the smart meter programme in 2015.
This case goes beyond the simple issue of electricity meters. It fundamentally questions the consent of citizens with the digital infrastructures imposed in their private areas. The Ombudsman had also pointed out this delay in the regulations in his last annual report.
The challenge is now to create a new legal framework that reconciles technological development and respect for individual freedoms. The decision of the court in Lyon could therefore be the beginning of a new era in which technical development will have to deal with a fundamental right: the right to choose which technologies are present in its own direct habitat. “