How to report illegal content published on the internet?
Verified 07 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Several devices allow to report illegal content published on the internet. The report may be transmitted to law enforcement and/or the host a website or a online platform. In the event that a program broadcast on a catch-up (replay) or video-on-demand service (example: OCS, Orange) seems inappropriate to you, you can inform theArcom (ex-CSA and Hadopi): titleContent. We present you the information to know.
Warning
This page does not discuss ways to report a spam. The spam reporting devices differ depending on the means by which it was transmitted to you: on an email address or by phone.
Illegal publication online
Any content unlawful published on the internet can be reported to the host of the site or of the online platform on which it was published. A large number of illegal publications (e.g. content related to discrimination, terrorism) can also be reported to law enforcement.
FYI
It is possible to report the same illegal content to the host and law enforcement.
How can illegal content published on the internet be reported?
The hosting providers must provide you with mechanisms to report content posted on a site or online platform, when they consider it to be unlawful.Report abusive behavior on TikTok
These mechanisms must be easily accessible: you must be able to issue a report by electronic means.
Please note
It is not mandatory to have tried to contact the offender to report illegal content to the web host. You can directly report the facts to the host.
Social networks (Twitter,Facebook,InstagramSnapchat,, TikTok, etc.) generally have elaborate reporting systems that explain the situation and accurately report illegal content.
In the case of independent websites (e.g. the website of a company), the person who wishes to make a report must search for the host's contact details (e.g. email address).
FYI
In general, the contact details of the host are found in the legal notice of the website.
The alert shall contain the following information:
- Your identity
- Period during which the events took place
- Accurate description of illegal content
- Information to identify the author of the offense (for example, the URL of the site)
- Reasons why you request the removal of the online publication
- Possible steps taken to contact the perpetrator.
How does the hosting provider deal with the reporting of illegal content on the internet?
Following your report, hosts must verify that the reported content is illegal.
If so, they must immediately :
- Notify the competent authorities (e.g. public prosecutor)
- Remove or block access to illegal content.
FYI
The reporting of terrorist content, child pornography or content intended for the illicit sale of drugs is dealt with according to specific rules.
What illegal content published on the internet can be reported on PHAROS?
You can report content published on the internet (e.g. on a social network, blog, forum, etc.) as long as it is accessible to all internet users.
Warning
PHAROS: titleContent does not deal with urgent cases. In case of emergency (infringement in progress, person who threatens to commit suicide, etc.), you can contact the police or gendarmerie at 17, the Samu at 15 or the firefighters at 18.
Content that can be reported from PHAROS: titleContent must be linked to:
- Endangering others (example: a suicide announcement)
- Terrorism (example: apology for terrorism)
- To threats or incitement to violence
- To child pornography
- To a sexual offer to a minor on the internet
- To a discrimination
- To the traffic of drugs or weapons
- To acts of cruelty to animals
- To an incitement to commit a infringement.
These contents may have been designed in France or abroad.
FYI
If you are a victim ofinsult or defamation, you cannot use PHAROS: titleContent. You must contact a police or gendarmerie department directly. The same applies if you have received content in a private setting, by a person you know (for example: on a private messaging service).
How to report illegal content published on the internet from PHAROS?
If you are a victim or witness of a publication unlawful on the internet, you can report to the police or gendarmerie from PHAROS: titleContent. This platform is open to adults and minors.
Report illegal internet content (internet-reporting: Pharos)
FYI
In principle, PHAROS agents collect only your IP address which does not allow to identify you. As an exception, these agents may seek to identify you after requesting authorization from the public prosecutor.
What happens after the report of illegal content published on the internet?
If the teams of PHAROS: titleContent consider that the content is illegal, the report is transmitted to the competent authorities (investigation service of the National Police or the National Gendarmerie, etc.). An investigation may be conducted under the authority of the public prosecutor.
In addition, police and gendarmes can contact the host of the site or of the platform and ask it to remove the illegal content.
If the reported content was designed abroad, it is forwarded to Interpol, which directs it to the judicial authorities of the country concerned. In this case, it is possible that the deletion of the publication takes place in a deferred manner.
FYI
After a report, everything content of a terrorist nature, child pornography or intended for the illicit sale of drugs must be removed from the site on which it appears, within a very short period of time. In addition, access to the site on which this content was published may be blocked.
After a report to law enforcement, theCfao: titleContent may ask to the host or atpublisher of a online communication service remove the content unlawful. In this case, the person to whom the request has been addressed shall have a period of 24 hours to remove terrorist, child pornographic or illicit drug content.
This period runs from the withdrawal request sent to the host or the publisher of the web page.
If the content has not been removed within 24 hours, theCfao: titleContent must transmit to internet service providers (e.g. Orange, SFR, etc.) all internet addresses (URLs) of online communication services containing information of a terrorist, child pornographic nature or intended for the illicit sale of drugs. Providers must immediately block access to these addresses.
If you report the character unlawful of a content while knowing that it is not, you incur criminal sanctions. These penalties differ depending on the person to whom you have denounced the publication (police, gendarmerie or host).
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False denunciation to the host
If you report content as illegal, knowing that it is not, you risk a one-year prison sentence and €15,000 of a fine.
False denunciation since PHAROS
If you report content published by a specific person when you are aware that it is not a publication unlawful, you may be sentenced to:
- 5 years in prison
- and €45,000 of a fine.
Replay or video on demand
When watching a program broadcast on a catch-up (replay) or video-on-demand service (example: OCS, Allociné, Orange, etc.), you feel that a sequence undermines respect for people, particularly the protection of minors. In this case, you can report this program to theArcom (ex-CSA and Hadopi): titleContent.
Report a TV or audio program to Arcom
Following the report, theArcom (ex-CSA and Hadopi): titleContent view the relevant sequence to determine if it is content unlawful.
If so, the publisher and the host catch-up or video-on-demand service receive 2 alerts from Arcom. If they do not intervene after these warnings, they are formal notice withdraw the content in question or stop broadcasting the program in question.
The publisher and the host have a 72 hours delay as from the formal notice, to remove the unlawful content.
After this period, Arcom may give their e-mail addresses to their internet service providers so that they can block them. As a result, Internet users can no longer access the catch-up or video-on-demand service concerned.
FYI
Access to the e-mail address of the publisher and the host can be blocked only for a limited time, the duration of which is defined by Arcom.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
For minors wishing to obtain listening and advice in case of infringement on the Internet
To ask your questions anonymously and confidentially about online harassment (cyber-harassment).
By phone
3018
Open 7 days a week, from 9am to 11pm
Free and anonymous call
Website
App Store and Google Play
The 3018 application is also available from the App Store and Google Play.
To get help as a victim of crime
This service allows victims of infringements (excluding damage to property on the internet) to be listened to and referred to a victim support association or a specialized service. It is accessible to deaf and hard of hearing people.
In metropolitan France
116,006
Free call
Service available every day of the year, from 9am to 8pm.
Outside metropolitan France (or from the foreigner)
+ 33 (0)1 80 52 33 76
Free call
Service available every day of the year, from 9am to 8pm (Paris time).
By email
By email: victimes@116006.fr
Obligation for hosting providers to set up reporting mechanisms (Article 16)
Removal of terrorist, child pornographic or illicit drug content
Reporting to the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication
Penalty in case of false denunciation to the host
Penalty in case of false denunciation to law enforcement
Online service
Online service
Service Public
Service Public
Service Public
French Association of Internet Providers (AFPI)
Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (Arcom)