Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

French government seeks to comb social media to fight tax fraud

Published 11/07/2019, 02:48 PM
Updated 11/07/2019, 02:56 PM
© Reuters.  French government seeks to comb social media to fight tax fraud

© Reuters. French government seeks to comb social media to fight tax fraud

By Mathieu Rosemain

PARIS (Reuters) - France's government is seeking to give the authorities the power to trawl social media for signs of tax avoidance and fraud, according to a provision of the budget 2020 draft law that is being debated in parliament.

The move would significantly enhance the state's surveillance apparatus online by letting it collect masses of public data, raising concerns from the country's data protection authority and several advocacy groups.

Under an article of the draft bill, which was reviewed and approved by the National Assembly's finance committee late on Wednesday, the customs and tax authorities would be permitted to carry out a three-year "experiment" in monitoring data.

They could review social media users' profiles, photographs and posts, and use computer algorithms to detect signs of tax evasion, smuggling or undeclared income.

"If you say you're not a fiscal resident in France and you keep posting pictures on Instagram from France, there might be an issue," Budget Minister Gérald Darmanin said in an interview with newspaper Le Figaro.

President Emmanuel Macron's holds a majority of seats in the lower house, which is expected to pass the provision and the rest of the bill by the end of the year. Its approval by the house's finance committee increases the chances of it being fully adopted.

GENERALIZED MONITORING

"An experiment without any goals is a joke," said Arthur Messaud, a legal expert at French internet freedom advocacy group La Quadrature du Net. "We're putting the cat among the pigeons by allowing the generalized monitoring of the Internet for everything and anything."

The French data watchdog, CNIL, known in Europe for being a staunch defender of privacy rights, also stressed in a statement the risks the policy would pose for individual freedoms, while recognizing that the government's aims were legitimate.

Asked about the measure after a weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday Darmanin told Reuters: "I'd like to point out that there is nothing extraordinary here, other countries are already doing it, such as the United States or Britain since 2010 for example."

In his interview with Le Figaro, Darmanin said artificial intelligence could be used to fight fraud. He said the program would have to be approved by the CNIL and the country's highest administrative court.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.