Media and technology

French councils ‘broke rules’ on smart camera surveillance of public

Illegal camera activity included the use of real-time facial recognition software

Trump and Musk invited to an AI summit in France, says Macron

By the time of the summit, Mr Trump will be President of the United States for the second time, while Mr Musk will likely be part of his administration

Photos: These five small towns in France top new ranking of Wikipedia visits

A famous coastal town is in first place followed by a medieval hilltop favourite and three mountain resorts

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You can now report certain crimes anywhere in France using online tool

The new tool is now live, and aims to get a police officer or gendarme to review your report report within 48 hours

Ryanair to change boarding pass rules: French flights affected

Travellers who 'want the piece of paper are the same demographic that were the first ones to switch to the internet for cheaper airfares' says airline boss Michael O’Leary

Death of Paris student: What is ‘The Sorority’ app that sent alert?

The free app is designed to alert other users in the event that members feel unsafe or at risk of male violence

France puts forward ‘Emilia Pérez’ for 2025 US Oscars

The ‘transgender musical’ film has been recognised at Cannes, but has also attracted controversy

Brigitte Macron to make appearance in new Emily in Paris series

‘We had a fantastic time together. It was a real honour,’ says star Lily Collins

Franco-Lebanese tycoon acquires French media giants

Rodolphe Saadé expands his media portfolio with the purchase of BFM-TV and RMC for €1.55billion

French authorities launch major crackdown on illegal streaming

The watchdog has already blocked almost 200 sites since the start of the Ligue 1 football championship

French supermarket trials tills with cameras to detect thefts

The cameras are focused on customers’ hands and identify ‘suspicious movement’ - but critics say they infringe privacy

Online tool to report burglaries to police will expand across France

The system can be used to report other incidents too, including vandalism

Cost of sending letters and parcels to rise in France: see new rates

The increases come as La Poste seeks to diversify its services amid ‘a drop in paper activity’

Push to reduce 200 more no-reception phone zones in France

A total of 200 sites are covered by a new decree. You can search a full list online to see if your area is included

‘Ration internet to 3 GB per week’ in France, pleads former minister

The limit would improve health and the environment and reduce discrimination, she claims

How to get financial help to repair a smartphone in France

The national ‘bonus réparation’ scheme is set to include broken smartphones from next year

Watch out for new energy bill scam in France

The email includes bank details and a phone number and warns customers of an ‘unpaid bill’

Woman in France loses €1,300 in online car hire scam

The victim made the error of communicating with the scammer outside of the online car hire platform

How to keep up with French news and improve your language skills

From podcasts to social media, there is a wealth of resources available

Petition calls for ban on children’s junk food ads in France

A consumer association in France has launched a petition to ban junk food advertising to children on TV and the internet, in a bid to beat childhood obesity.

Here are the 68 French towns where daily post deliveries are stopping

The trial is part of La Poste’s plans to adapt to lower levels of post being sent

More towns take away street advertising signs in France

Mayors say that the boards cause visual clutter and use too much energy

Scam alert in France: Watch out for online energy fraudsters

Energy cost scams have soared by 127% this year as costs rise, with more fake-but-convincing websites popping up. Here’s how to avoid falling victim

Macron among French politicians to pay respect after South Korea crush

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has also tweeted condolences after it emerged that more than 150 people have been killed in a Halloween crush in Seoul

PHOTOS: See the 14 places vying to be France’s most loved monument

The shortlist has been revealed ahead of the final result of this year’s competition in two weeks' time

MPs vote to formally end licence fee in France

The vote will get rid of the €138 annual fee but critics say it will be replaced by an ‘unfair tax’ and could threaten the independence of broadcasting services

Frenchman’s bid to remove the shame of having the name Kevin

A filmmaker called Kevin is set to make a documentary to investigate the origins of the negative associations surrounding the name in France

Why your health reimbursements in France may not be arriving

Email account problems have meant that up to 20,000 doctors have not been able to send the necessary forms for reimbursement

‘As a foreigner I cannot vote but a French person is voting for me’

Olga has lived in France for 30 years but without French citizenship they are unable to vote – but via a special platform, they have asked someone else to vote on their behalf

Marine Le Pen: ‘Putin could become ally to France again’

The far-right presidential candidate said that the ‘great power’ could be an ally ‘against Islamic fundamentalism’

Black truffle from France sells for US$10,000 at online auction

The truffle weighs more than 1kg and was sold as an NFT (non-fungible token), meaning the buyer will receive both the actual truffle and an official certificate showing proof of ownership

5G antennas in France do not present risk to health, agency confirms

The update comes after the French health authority’s report said the same in April

French countryside better connected to fibre internet than cities

New figures suggest that the rollout of fibre optic internet has been faster in rural areas, with medium-dense areas getting left behind

Orange promises 24-hour solution to fixed line faults in France

Orange will install satellite wi-fi hotspots in local mairies to enable people with laptop computers or smartphones to communicate during an outage

French city warned over ‘intrusive’ use of CCTV to check number plates

The data protection authority issued an alert to Valenciennes in connection with its agreement with Chinese technology giant Huawei for plate recognition and image analysis systems

President Macron takes to TikTok to answer Covid-19 vaccine questions

The president invited young people to ask questions directly to counter what he called ‘complete rubbish’ spreading online; but users are perhaps more interested in his T-shirt...

France in top 5 for cycling in the world, Google Maps data shows

Rising cycle route use pushes France and the city of Paris into the global top 5, amid record bike sales and national and local government help for bike purchases

French cities catch on to 15-minute order-to-door grocery apps

Rapid services operating in Paris, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Lyon and Lille. Services say shoppers now want to order groceries like taxis and not to set time delivery slots

Leading medics condemn Macron’s timetable for ending Covid lockdown

In an open letter, 23 doctors and scientists say that France risks another epidemic wave in summer, and ‘appears deaf to WHO warnings’ about reopening too soon

TV viewers in France sue Canal Plus for refund over forced upgrade

Consumer association brings legal action against French pay-TV broadcaster saying ‘opt-out’ sales practices are also being adopted by other firms including telephone service operators and insurers

Scam alert in France as malware texts target parcel deliveries

Text messages appear to be from a courier about a parcel delivery but there are a number of clues that they are a scam. We explain how to avoid falling victim, and what to do if you have

EU health pass: People can ‘start thinking about Europe summer travel’

The European Commissioner said that the EU was still on track to introduce a digital health pass by mid-to late-June; it comes as support for the plan is high in France

Covidliste: Get a Covid vaccination from leftover doses in France

Almost 300,000 people have already signed up to a new platform that connects users to participating vaccination centres, for doses that would otherwise be thrown away. We explain

Covid France: Tests and vaccination updates April 4

Updates on the health situation in France, including when at-home Covid tests will be for sale, party organisers facing jail time, and QR codes suggested for entering restaurants

Paris Louvre uploads almost entire art collection for free online

The museum remains closed due to Covid but almost half a million major works can be seen online after a super-modern web revamp. Complete digital tours available.

€3.6 billion fibre optic rollout in rural France 'catastrophic'

Problems with faulty installation of fibre optic broadband have been reported across the country and blamed on subcontracting of work by phone companies

Make money by turning your home in France into a film set

A production company in the south of France is calling for distinctive traditional, or very modern, properties to add to its filming location database. Owners are paid if their home is used

Why ADSL broadband fees and phone deals may go up in France

The price of maintaining the old copper lines that are the backbone of the ADSL system is a 'real problem', says provider Orange

'My fibre-optic installation in France was far from speedy'

Nick Inman recounts the seven weeks it took to be connected to fibre-optic by Orange in his village

France fines Google €1.1m over 'misleading' hotel ratings

Government watchdog said internet giant's practice of using its own criteria rather than official classification was ‘particularly damaging’ for both consumers and hoteliers

New system allows notaires more use of video conference

Notaires hope they will, in due course, be able to conclude all important legal contracts by video conference

Covid France: Vaccination wait times reach up to 2 months

Vaccinations for those aged 75 or over, or with at-risk health conditions, start today - but wait times have now risen to two months in some areas

Covid vaccine: France debates jabs for chronic conditions

France is discussing whether to make the vaccine available for people with chronic conditions - as the booking website experiences difficulties

Hollywood hero's support phone message for Corsica

Leader of local business association gets action star Chuck Norris to deliver a New Year greeting

Americans discover French TV's famous marmots

Broadcaster France 3's witty animal TV idents go viral

Thousands protest across France against new security law

Huge crowds were seen across the country this weekend in protest at the controversial new law, with clashes erupting in several cities

French shop owners - what price decent online service?

Samantha David argues that if small shop owners made just a tiny fraction of the online customer service effort of a certain global internet market place, they would have happier clients - and make much more money

French parliament adopts controversial security law

The bill, which would limit the spread of ‘malicious’ images of police officers, passed 388 to 104 votes, but critics say it may not pass through the Senate

What issues will Macron’s Covid-19 speech address?

President Macron is to speak to the nation tonight at 20:00. We explore the main issues he is likely to address

France: Pet owners warned about lost pet scam

Gendarmerie in the Var have warned of scammers targeting the owners of lost pets on website Pet Alert, and demanding payment for the animal’s ‘safe return’

France switches on 5G, but mobile white zones remain

Since 2018, some 2,066 so-called 'white zones', where there is little or no mobile phone coverage, have been identified

France lockdown: The exemption forms you need

We explain the three different types of confinement exemption "attestation" forms required during the second lockdown in France

Assurance Maladie in France now emailing Covid contacts

Emails are sent to validated email accounts registered on the Assurance Maladie website, but calls are still being used in some cases

France to release ‘more interactive’ StopCovid app

The new track and trace app is being launched in France on October 22 after only 2.6 million people downloaded the first version.

Lille issues ‘moratorium’ on 5G technology

Lille mayor Martine Aubry has confirmed a moratorium on the controversial technology pending a 2021 report on its possible implications for health

France begins 5G mobile technology frequency roll out

France has today (September 29) opened up billions of euros worth of more 5G frequencies to mobile phone operators, as the country starts rolling out the controversial technology.

French PM ‘not ruling out’ second lockdown amid record cases

French Prime Minister Jean Castex has refused to rule out a second lockdown if Covid-19 worsens and announced further measures, as a record 16,000 cases are confirmed in 24 hours.

Found! French family of World War Two mystery Bible owner

The French family of the owner of a lost Bible that was found by an English soldier on the battlefields of World War Two has been traced via social media.

Macron: France ‘will adopt 5G’ as a ‘country of innovation’

France “will adopt” 5G and will continue to be a “country of innovation”, French President Emmanuel Macron has said, hitting back at critics of the new technology who would rather an “Amish model”, he said.

All police in France will wear body cameras by July 2021

All police and law enforcement officers in France will carry body cameras as standard from summer 2021, the government has confirmed.

Animal cuts internet cables in southwest France

Engineers take two days to track down the source of the problem - an invasive animal from South America

DSK sexual assault accuser speaks out in French magazine

A woman who accused former French politician and head of the IMF Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault has said that he would be “in prison today” if he was poor, nine years after the scandal rocked France.

French post admits errors and aims to improve parcel service

French post office La Poste has announced that it is working to improve its parcel delivery service, Colissimo, after a huge spike in traffic since the end of confinement has led to more than 20,000 delivery errors per day.

Funny moment as TGV train ‘misses’ station in south France

A driver of a TGV train travelling between Toulouse and Lyon missed a stop in the southern station of Nîmes Pont-du-Gard (Occitanie) this week and was forced to reverse the train - causing delays of over half an hour.

Facebook France to pay €106 million in new tax settlement

Facebook France is to pay €106 million in tax adjustments after an investigation found it had not properly declared revenue generated in France before 2018.