ARCOM, France’s communications regulator, is responsible for the implementation of the EU’s Digital Services regulation in France. Part of ARCOM’s responsibility is to designate trusted signallers responsible to report instances of content that are suspected to be illegal to the online platforms. In turn, the online platforms are obliged to remove the content promptly, unless the instance is disputed.
Four agencies have been designated with this reporting status
- The Association for the Fight Against Audiovisual Piracy (ALPA) – Created in 1985, ALPA is dedicated to the prevention and fight against piracy of audiovisual works.
- The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) – Created in 1995, the IFAW is dedicated to the rescue and preservation of wild species and participates in the fight against cybercrime related to these species.
- The INDECOSA-CGT association – Created in 1979, INDECOSA-CGT is an association for the information and defense of salaried consumers.
- The Point de Contact Association – Created in 1998, Point de Contact fights against cyberviolence and ensures the protection of victims in the digital space.
Examples of manifestly illegal content that can be reported for removal by the platform:
- Broadcast, on a video sharing platform, of a digital copy of a film still protected by copyright.
- Announcement of the sale, on a marketplace, of an animal recognized as endangered and whose trade is prohibited by law (for example, of an elegant bungy.).
- Announcement of sale, on a marketplace, of a dangerous product that has been the subject of a recall and/or prohibited for sale to individuals outside authorized distributors (for example, medicines or firearms).
- Publication, on a social network, calling for the murder of an individual or of a racist or anti-Semitic character, inciting suicide or containing a child pornography image.
Rules of engagement
Trusted signallers can report content to all platforms used in France regardless of where this platform is established: in France, in another country of the European Union or elsewhere in the world. The Internet user who has published the content that is the subject of a report is informed in case of withdrawal.
The reported user can request a second examination of its content by the platform, and, if necessary, to challenge the platform’s decision before the judge and, in parallel, an out-of-court dispute resolution body. The trusted signaler has the same rights. Trusted signallers, as well as platforms, are obliged to report on their respective activity of reporting and moderation of content by publishing an annual transparency report.
Original press release
Implementation of the European Regulation on Digital Services (RSN/DSA): ALPA, IFAW, INDECOSA-CGT and Point de Contact designated as trusted signalers. Press release. March 27, 2025. ARCOM (Regulator of audiovisual and digital communications for France)
Why it matters
Trusted signallers designated by ARCOM are responsible for submitting reports of suspected illegal content to online platforms. The report must be substantiated and the platform must treat it as a priority. If received from a trusted signaler, the online platform has the obligation to remove or block access to this allegedly illegal content.
All four agencies have been designated trusted signalers by ARCOM on the basis of the transparent criteria defined by section 22 of the RSN: expertise and competence in the identification of illegal content; independence from any online platform provider; commitment to make notifications diligently, accurately and objectively.
