In France, the status of universities, and particularly of academic freedom, is comparatively weak when compared to other European countries. The chapter analyses the reasons for this shortcoming and the current threats to academic freedom in France. Of these threats, the increasing employment of legal defamation suits brought against academics is particularly striking. These actions were deliberately aimed at intimidating academics, so that they refrain from making use of their freedom. Another recent threat to academic freedom can be described as an “internal threat”, namely, the threat coming from student activist groups, who increasingly rely on social media to exert pressure on academics. In conclusion, it is not so much the state which academics should fear, but increasingly “the new forces for morality and good”.