Is France going to link its digital ID to your social media accounts?

Published on 06/11/2025 - 10:06 GMT+1

A declare is circulating online that France is entering an "era of full traceability", amid allegations that nan country's integer ID — France Identité — will beryllium straight tied to individual societal media accounts.

France Identité is an app that enables users to create a integer personality based connected nan caller shape of nan French ID card, allowing group to beryllium their personality some online and offline. It's optional and is not intended to switch nan beingness ID card.

Various different European countries besides person integer ID systems, specified arsenic Denmark, Estonia and Spain, whereas others, specified arsenic Germany and nan Netherlands, are readying to bring them successful aliases participate successful nan EU's Digital Identity Wallet scheme.

A integer ID serves various functions, including accessing nationalist services, signing integer documents and online banking.

Yet a station connected X alleges that a caller French measurement will nexus integer IDs pinch users’ societal media accounts, allowing authorities to, successful theory, conflict against “bad actors” — but that unofficially, it would beryllium 1 much measurement towards a nine wherever words and opinions are policed.

It attaches a video of Paul Midy — a personnel of nan French parliament and of President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance statement — giving an question and reply successful which he says nan measurement would forestall complete anonymity online to thief tackle impunity for online harassment and different illegality.

However, nan caption is wrong: while French MPs did see linking nan integer ID to citizens' societal media, these proposals were rejected, and nan state is not presently poised to present nan measure.

The thought first emerged successful 2023, arsenic portion of nan chat connected nan "loi visant à sécuriser et à réguler l'espace numérique" (the rule aimed astatine securing and regulating nan integer space), aliases SREN law.

At nan time, Midy and others tabled an amendment that would person required a certification by a state-approved 3rd party, specified arsenic nan integer ID, erstwhile creating accounts connected societal media.

People could still person had an online pseudonym and floor plan image that wasn't of them, but nan authorities would person been capable to way them down successful nan lawsuit of immoderate imaginable wrongdoing, owed to nan account's nexus to nan integer ID.

The video of Midy attached to nan societal media station and his comments are so real. However, they were taken from an question and reply pinch French power position RTL, conducted astir nan clip politicians were discussing nan projected amendment.

The Cube recovered that nan video was first posted to YouTube connected 19 September 2023.

Ultimately, nan amendment faced fierce guidance related to its alleged breach of GDPR regulations and nan correct to state of expression, and was withdrawn.

The last rule came into unit successful May 2024, without nan measurement forcing group to nexus their integer IDs pinch their societal media accounts.

As things stand, nan integer ID tin beryllium utilized to verify someone's property erstwhile creating a societal media account, for example, but citizens are not required to do so, and nan integer ID is not automatically connected to their accounts.

Digital IDs successful wide are often nan taxable of misleading narratives online. The Cube antecedently debunked claims that nan EU's integer wallet was a screen to let Brussels to portion distant citizens' privateness and exert power complete their lives, for example.

Then, independent experts clarified that nan purpose of nan inaugural is really to manus greater privateness and power to nan user, not return it away.

The limb of nan French authorities responsible for France Identité did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.