Any person, victim or witness of a publication unlawful on the internet can make a report to the police or gendarmerie since PHAROS: titleContent. This platform is open to both adults and minors.

Report illegal internet content (internet-reporting: Pharos)

What content can be reported on PHAROS?

You can report content published on the Internet (e.g. on a social network, a blog, a forum, etc.) as long as it is accessible to all Internet users.

Content that can be reported from PHAROS: titleContent must be linked:

• To endangering others (example: an announcement of suicide)
• To terrorism (example: apology for terrorism)
• Threats or incitement to violence
• Child pornography
• To a sexual offer to a minor on the Internet
• To a discrimination
• To the traffic of drugs or weapons
• Acts of cruelty on animals
• Incitement to commit an offense infringement

These contents may have been designed in France or abroad.

What information should I provide on PHAROS?

When reporting, you must check the appropriate section for the content unlawful that you wish to report (for example, if you want to report a case of glorification of terrorism, you must check the "terrorism" box).

Then you say:

• The date and time the content was published
• The place where you observed this publication (e.g. website, social network, email, etc.) and, if necessary, the Internet address (URL) corresponding to the content you are reporting.

You can also add comments to help police and gendarmes better identify the content.

On the other hand, you have the possibility to specify your contact details (name, first name, email address, telephone number, etc.). It's not an obligation. The only item collected by PHAROS: titleContent is the IP address from which the report was made.

Nevertheless, with the agreement of the public prosecutor, police and/or gendarmes shall have the possibility to search for a person who has made a report.

What are the consequences of reporting on PHAROS?

If the teams of PHAROS: titleContent consider that the content is illegal, the alert is forwarded to the competent authorities (investigation service of the National Police or the National Gendarmerie, DGCCRF: titleContent). An investigation may be conducted under the authority of the public prosecutor.

In addition, police and gendarmes can contact the host site or platform and to request the deletion of the illegal content.

The hosts must put in place reporting mechanisms to alert them to the publication of illegal content on a website or a online platform (example: social networks).

This device must be visible and accessible to all.

As a victim or witness of content unlawful, you can report using this device.

As a result of this report, hosts must immediately :

• Notify competent authorities (e.g. public prosecutor)
• Remove or block access to illegal content

For terrorist offenses or child pornography, specific rules shall apply.

If you report the character unlawful content while knowing that it is not, you are subject to criminal penalties. These penalties differ depending on the person to whom you reported the publication (police, gendarmerie or host).