How do I report illegal content on a website?

The site PHAROS: titleContent, managed by specialized police and gendarmes, allows the reporting of illegal content on the internet.

Report illegal internet content (internet-reporting: Pharos)

You can report even if you are a minor.

Social networks often have their own reporting mechanisms. They evolve according to the general conditions of sale of the parent business and not according to French laws.

However, you can request removal of illegal content to their author or to the host of the site.

You can report any content that is accessible on the Internet: a website, a video, photos, a blog or a message that is posted on a social network if it is against the law.

It could be pedophilia, incitement to racial hatred, homophobia, defense of crimes against humanity, violence against people or animals, defense of terrorism...

The content can be French or foreigners.

All content is affected from the moment that any Internet user could have access to it, which excludes emails that are personally intended for you for example.

The reported content is not necessarily a link to a web page. For example, you can report someone acting on a live chat platform by using their pseudonym. In this case, give a maximum reference (theme, date, time of the message...) so that we can find the reported content.

When reporting, you can add comments to help police and gendarmes better identify the content.

However, you cannot report content insulting or defamatory with respect to a specified person, whether you or another person. Indeed, the person targeted by this type of content must complain.

PHAROS does not treat urgent cases. In case of emergency (ongoing offense, person threatening to commit suicide...), you must call the police or gendarmerie at 17 (assault in progress...) or the Samu at 15 or the fire brigade at 18 (suicide attempt...).

Spam messages must be reported through the Spam Signal.

Once the content is reported, it will be reviewed. If it does constitute an offense, the police and gendarmes may initiate proceedings or refer the case to a competent investigation service

If the content is foreigner, it is forwarded to Interpol or the judicial authorities of the country concerned.

You do not have to leave your contact information when you report content.

The only item collected by the site is the IP address where the report came from. With the approval of the public prosecutor, the police and gendarmes can subsequently search for a person who has made a report.