1. Cybercrime & Cybersecurity
1.1. Cybercrime
Phishing: Russia is accused of compromising hundreds of Signal accounts through targeted phishing campaigns, primarily aimed at political opponents and journalists in order to gain access to their secure communications. (Press release dated 27 April 2026)
1.2. Cybersecurity
SGDSN 2025 Activity Report: The General Secretariat for Defense and National Security has published its 2025 report. It highlights a significant deterioration in the global strategic environment and the state’s growing role in interministerial coordination in response to cyber, information, and military crises. (Report on April 29th, 2026)
ANSSI Report: The National Agency for the Security of Information Systems has released its 2025 annual report. The report reviews the measures taken to strengthen France’s cybersecurity in the face of increasingly widespread, sophisticated, and geopolitical threats. (Report on May 4th, 2026)
COMCYBER: The Ministry of the Interior’s 2026 Annual Report on Cybercrime, drafted by the Ministry of the Interior’s Cyber Command (COMCYBER-MI), was published on 24 April 2026 (Press release of 29 April 2026).
Report: Europol’s IOCTA 2026 report highlights the escalation of cyber threats in the EU, driven by encryption, cryptocurrencies and AI. Ransomware, automated fraud and the online sexual exploitation of children remain major risks, calling for enhanced international cooperation. (Press release dated 28 April 2026)
2. Desinformation and information warfare
Combating disinformation: The Ministry of the Economy has launched “Bercy décode”, an initiative that provides fact-checking and educational analysis on social media and the ministry’s website to enable citizens to access reliable, well-sourced and understandable information and to combat the spread of false information (Press release of 4 May 2026).
Disinformation: The first National Strategy to Combat Manipulation of Information of Foreign Origin has been adopted by the President of the Republic, with the aim of equipping France with enhanced means to guarantee an information space based on freedom of expression and the plurality of opinions. (National Strategy to Combat Manipulation of Information 2026–2030)
Combating disinformation: Adopted in February 2026, France’s first national strategy aims to combat the manipulation of information of foreign origin. Led by the SGDSN, it seeks to better protect public debate against digital interference. It strengthens society’s resilience, regulates the activities of platforms and AI, and develops European and international cooperation. (Press release of 11 February 2026)
3. Personal data and privacy
3.1. Data breaches and incidents
3.2. Penalties and regulations
News: Disney has reached a settlement with the California Attorney General for misleading users regarding their right to delete their data. The opt-out options on its streaming services were incomplete. The company will pay $2.75 million and must rectify its data deletion mechanisms. (Press release dated 4 May 2026)
Compliance: Following a ruling by the CJEU, the Council of State has ruled that Arcom’s ‘graduated response’ to piracy is not in line with European law. The scheme infringes on privacy by allowing excessive data cross-referencing without sufficient judicial oversight. It orders the Government to review the legal framework, with stricter transitional rules on data access. (Press release dated 30/04/2026)
4. Digital Economy and Competition
Web Content / AI: A report co-authored by the head of the Wayback Machine at the Internet Archive reveals that approximately 35% of newly published websites are generated by or with the help of artificial intelligence. Before the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, this phenomenon was very rare. However, the report does not show a significant increase in misinformation. (Report on April 30th, 2026)
5. Artificial Intelligence
5.1. Copyright in the age of IA
AI Training: More than 80 organizations from the cultural, publishing, music, and media sectors are calling for the swift adoption of French legislation to regulate the use of copyrighted works for training generative AI. Cultural stakeholders denounce the “massive plundering” of content by AI models and demand greater transparency regarding training data. (Press release on May 5th, 2026)
5.2. Regulation and supervision
AI: Decree No. 2026-70, which aims to expand the remit of VIGINUM, notably through the creation of an AI model for exclusively defensive purposes, was published in the Official Journal on 12 February 2026. (Decree No. 2026-70 of 11 February 2026 on the remit and resources of the service for vigilance and protection against foreign digital interference)
6. Intellectual Property and counterfeiting
6.1. Legal actions and proceedings
Copyright / Meta: Five publishers, including Hachette Book Group, have filed a class-action lawsuit in New York against Meta and Mark Zuckerberg. The publishers accuse the company of extensively using copyrighted books, textbooks, and scientific articles to train its AI models without authorization or compensation. (Press release on May 5th, 2026)
Streaming/IPTV: On 17 April 2026, the Paris Commercial Court ordered search engines (Google, Microsoft), ISPs (Orange, Free, etc.) and the Proton VPN to block or delist 21 websites and IPTV services illegally broadcasting Formula 1 in order to protect Canal+’s broadcasting rights (Paris Judicial Court, 17/04/2026, 26/00511; 26/00512; 26/00520) .
Streaming/IPTV: On 17 April 2026, the Paris Commercial Court ordered several ISPs, VPNs, DNS providers, CDNs and search engines to block or delist 16 websites and IPTV services illegally broadcasting the 2026 MotoGP races to protect Canal+’s broadcasting rights (Paris Commercial Court, 17/04/2026, 26/00502, 26/00503, 26/00504, 26/00505, 26/00506, 26/00507, 26/00508, 26/00509, 26/00510).
6.2. Regulation and supervision
Online piracy of copyrighted works: The Council of State rules that the “graduated response” system designed to combat online piracy of copyrighted works does not comply with European law and orders the government to bring the system into compliance (Press release on April 30th, 2026).
7. Regulation & Justice
7.1. French Law
Dangerous products: Inspections carried out by the DGCCRF since 2025 show that 46% of products tested on major foreign marketplaces are non-compliant and dangerous. More than 100,000 items, many of which are for children, have been withdrawn. Consumers are urged to be vigilant. (Press release dated 29 April 2026)
7.2. European Law
Advertising: A report by the European Audiovisual Observatory provides an overview of the rules governing advertising for alcohol, gambling, financial services and health. Based on the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), the regulations are often strengthened at national level and extend to streaming platforms and influencers. (Press release dated 5 May 2026)
DSA: The European Commission has issued a formal notice to Croatia for incorrect application of the DSA, criticising the insufficient powers of its national coordinator, particularly with regard to sanctions. The country has two months to comply. (Press release dated 29/04/2026)
