Media and technology

Right-wing TV news channel in France grows in popularity

Audience figures for CNews - the French version of Fox News in the US and the UK’s GB News - beat mainstream rival for the first time

Phone thief on Paris train caught when passengers call and hear ring

The thief continued to deny it was him but the phone was ringing in his pocket

‘Ration internet to 3 GB per week’ in France, pleads former minister

The limit would improve health and the environment and reduce discrimination, she claims

Orange to offer French satellite internet service ‘to rival Starlink’

It will be aimed mainly at people living in remote areas who cannot otherwise access high-speed internet. Rates will be €49.99 a month

Orange fined record €26m for fibre optic rollout failures in France

The telecoms giant disputes the decision by the national regulator

How to get financial help to repair a smartphone in France

The national ‘bonus réparation’ scheme is set to include broken smartphones from next year

Watch out for new energy bill scam in France

The email includes bank details and a phone number and warns customers of an ‘unpaid bill’

Woman in France loses €1,300 in online car hire scam

The victim made the error of communicating with the scammer outside of the online car hire platform

How to keep up with French news and improve your language skills

From podcasts to social media, there is a wealth of resources available

Petition calls for ban on children’s junk food ads in France

A consumer association in France has launched a petition to ban junk food advertising to children on TV and the internet, in a bid to beat childhood obesity.

Here are the 68 French towns where daily post deliveries are stopping

The trial is part of La Poste’s plans to adapt to lower levels of post being sent

More towns take away street advertising signs in France

Mayors say that the boards cause visual clutter and use too much energy

Scam alert in France: Watch out for online energy fraudsters

Energy cost scams have soared by 127% this year as costs rise, with more fake-but-convincing websites popping up. Here’s how to avoid falling victim

Frenchman’s bid to remove the shame of having the name Kevin

A filmmaker called Kevin is set to make a documentary to investigate the origins of the negative associations surrounding the name in France

French countryside better connected to fibre internet than cities

New figures suggest that the rollout of fibre optic internet has been faster in rural areas, with medium-dense areas getting left behind

Orange promises 24-hour solution to fixed line faults in France

Orange will install satellite wi-fi hotspots in local mairies to enable people with laptop computers or smartphones to communicate during an outage

French city warned over ‘intrusive’ use of CCTV to check number plates

The data protection authority issued an alert to Valenciennes in connection with its agreement with Chinese technology giant Huawei for plate recognition and image analysis systems

President Macron takes to TikTok to answer Covid-19 vaccine questions

The president invited young people to ask questions directly to counter what he called ‘complete rubbish’ spreading online; but users are perhaps more interested in his T-shirt...

France in top 5 for cycling in the world, Google Maps data shows

Rising cycle route use pushes France and the city of Paris into the global top 5, amid record bike sales and national and local government help for bike purchases

French cities catch on to 15-minute order-to-door grocery apps

Rapid services operating in Paris, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Lyon and Lille. Services say shoppers now want to order groceries like taxis and not to set time delivery slots

Leading medics condemn Macron’s timetable for ending Covid lockdown

In an open letter, 23 doctors and scientists say that France risks another epidemic wave in summer, and ‘appears deaf to WHO warnings’ about reopening too soon

TV viewers in France sue Canal Plus for refund over forced upgrade

Consumer association brings legal action against French pay-TV broadcaster saying ‘opt-out’ sales practices are also being adopted by other firms including telephone service operators and insurers

Scam alert in France as malware texts target parcel deliveries

Text messages appear to be from a courier about a parcel delivery but there are a number of clues that they are a scam. We explain how to avoid falling victim, and what to do if you have

EU health pass: People can ‘start thinking about Europe summer travel’

The European Commissioner said that the EU was still on track to introduce a digital health pass by mid-to late-June; it comes as support for the plan is high in France

Covidliste: Get a Covid vaccination from leftover doses in France

Almost 300,000 people have already signed up to a new platform that connects users to participating vaccination centres, for doses that would otherwise be thrown away. We explain

Covid France: Tests and vaccination updates April 4

Updates on the health situation in France, including when at-home Covid tests will be for sale, party organisers facing jail time, and QR codes suggested for entering restaurants

Paris Louvre uploads almost entire art collection for free online

The museum remains closed due to Covid but almost half a million major works can be seen online after a super-modern web revamp. Complete digital tours available.

€3.6 billion fibre optic rollout in rural France 'catastrophic'

Problems with faulty installation of fibre optic broadband have been reported across the country and blamed on subcontracting of work by phone companies

Make money by turning your home in France into a film set

A production company in the south of France is calling for distinctive traditional, or very modern, properties to add to its filming location database. Owners are paid if their home is used

Why ADSL broadband fees and phone deals may go up in France

The price of maintaining the old copper lines that are the backbone of the ADSL system is a 'real problem', says provider Orange

'My fibre-optic installation in France was far from speedy'

Nick Inman recounts the seven weeks it took to be connected to fibre-optic by Orange in his village

France fines Google €1.1m over 'misleading' hotel ratings

Government watchdog said internet giant's practice of using its own criteria rather than official classification was ‘particularly damaging’ for both consumers and hoteliers

New system allows notaires more use of video conference

Notaires hope they will, in due course, be able to conclude all important legal contracts by video conference

Covid France: Vaccination wait times reach up to 2 months

Vaccinations for those aged 75 or over, or with at-risk health conditions, start today - but wait times have now risen to two months in some areas

Covid vaccine: France debates jabs for chronic conditions

France is discussing whether to make the vaccine available for people with chronic conditions - as the booking website experiences difficulties

Hollywood hero's support phone message for Corsica

Leader of local business association gets action star Chuck Norris to deliver a New Year greeting

Americans discover French TV's famous marmots

Broadcaster France 3's witty animal TV idents go viral

Thousands protest across France against new security law

Huge crowds were seen across the country this weekend in protest at the controversial new law, with clashes erupting in several cities

French shop owners - what price decent online service?

Samantha David argues that if small shop owners made just a tiny fraction of the online customer service effort of a certain global internet market place, they would have happier clients - and make much more money

French parliament adopts controversial security law

The bill, which would limit the spread of ‘malicious’ images of police officers, passed 388 to 104 votes, but critics say it may not pass through the Senate

What issues will Macron’s Covid-19 speech address?

President Macron is to speak to the nation tonight at 20:00. We explore the main issues he is likely to address

France: Pet owners warned about lost pet scam

Gendarmerie in the Var have warned of scammers targeting the owners of lost pets on website Pet Alert, and demanding payment for the animal’s ‘safe return’

France switches on 5G, but mobile white zones remain

Since 2018, some 2,066 so-called 'white zones', where there is little or no mobile phone coverage, have been identified

France lockdown: The exemption forms you need

We explain the three different types of confinement exemption "attestation" forms required during the second lockdown in France

Assurance Maladie in France now emailing Covid contacts

Emails are sent to validated email accounts registered on the Assurance Maladie website, but calls are still being used in some cases

France to release ‘more interactive’ StopCovid app

The new track and trace app is being launched in France on October 22 after only 2.6 million people downloaded the first version.

Lille issues ‘moratorium’ on 5G technology

Lille mayor Martine Aubry has confirmed a moratorium on the controversial technology pending a 2021 report on its possible implications for health

France begins 5G mobile technology frequency roll out

France has today (September 29) opened up billions of euros worth of more 5G frequencies to mobile phone operators, as the country starts rolling out the controversial technology.

French PM ‘not ruling out’ second lockdown amid record cases

French Prime Minister Jean Castex has refused to rule out a second lockdown if Covid-19 worsens and announced further measures, as a record 16,000 cases are confirmed in 24 hours.

Found! French family of World War Two mystery Bible owner

The French family of the owner of a lost Bible that was found by an English soldier on the battlefields of World War Two has been traced via social media.

Macron: France ‘will adopt 5G’ as a ‘country of innovation’

France “will adopt” 5G and will continue to be a “country of innovation”, French President Emmanuel Macron has said, hitting back at critics of the new technology who would rather an “Amish model”, he said.

All police in France will wear body cameras by July 2021

All police and law enforcement officers in France will carry body cameras as standard from summer 2021, the government has confirmed.

Animal cuts internet cables in southwest France

Engineers take two days to track down the source of the problem - an invasive animal from South America

DSK sexual assault accuser speaks out in French magazine

A woman who accused former French politician and head of the IMF Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault has said that he would be “in prison today” if he was poor, nine years after the scandal rocked France.

French post admits errors and aims to improve parcel service

French post office La Poste has announced that it is working to improve its parcel delivery service, Colissimo, after a huge spike in traffic since the end of confinement has led to more than 20,000 delivery errors per day.

Funny moment as TGV train ‘misses’ station in south France

A driver of a TGV train travelling between Toulouse and Lyon missed a stop in the southern station of Nîmes Pont-du-Gard (Occitanie) this week and was forced to reverse the train - causing delays of over half an hour.

Facebook France to pay €106 million in new tax settlement

Facebook France is to pay €106 million in tax adjustments after an investigation found it had not properly declared revenue generated in France before 2018.

New app aims to fight illegal waste dumping in France

Residents in France are invited to download and use a new app that aims to combat fly tipping and the illegal dumping of waste in nature and beauty spots.

Better phone signal in France: Is your town on 2020’s list?

The French government has published an official list of communes across the country that are set to receive improved mobile phone signal coverage - including 4G - by the end of 2020.

French cheese ‘fine to eat after best before date’

The makers of popular French soft cheese La Vache Qui Rit (The Laughing Cow) are aiming to tackle the problem of food waste by reminding consumers that their product may be fine to eat even after its “best before date” has passed.

Dozens of 5G antennas vandalised in France during lockdown

Dozens of 5G antennas have been vandalised across France, including four in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne, Occitanie) in recent weeks, with the damage attributed to anarchist groups, amid wider scepticism of 5G.

France outraged as burger chain launches the ‘Croissan’wich’

France has reacted with online outrage and mirth after fast food chain Burger King launched a new croissant burger dubbed the “Croissan’wich”, which replaces the usual burger bun with a sliced croissant.

Controversial StopCovid app now available in France

The track and trace smartphone app StopCovid is now available to download on Apple and Android smartphones in France.

France StopCovid app: How it works and how to get it

Controversial contact tracing smartphone app StopCovid is to be available in France on a voluntary basis from Monday June 1, after it was approved for use by the government. We consider how - and if - it will work.

France may get controversial StopCovid app this week

StopCovid, the coronavirus smartphone “tracing app”, could be available in France from this weekend, if it is approved in parliament this week, the government has said, amid ongoing criticism and concerns.

Covid contact tracing brigades in France: What we know

France is to have “brigades” of people who will trace contacts of people who test positive for Covid-19 after confinement ends, to help contain further spread of the virus. Here is what we know about them so far.

Covid contact tracing app: a risk to rights?

An official opt-in phone app to trace whether you have had contact with someone infected with Covid-19 is under review. Some say the risks are too high if rushed in

Net pains in rural France

Amazon France to stay closed for two more days

Amazon France, the French branch of the online retail giant, is to remain closed for two more days - until Wednesday April 22 - pending an appeal to a court order to limit its activities nationwide.

Chief adviser: 18 million in France must stay confined

Eighteen million at-risk and vulnerable people in France will still need to stay in confinement even after deconfinement measures begin on May 11, the French chief government scientific advisor has warned.

Amazon France must stop all ‘non-essential’ deliveries

Amazon France is no longer allowed to deliver any “non-essential” items during the Covid-19 crisis, as a French court condemns it for continuing to trade as normal, and for not doing enough to protect its workers.

French 14-year-old makes hospital masks on 3D printers

A 14-year-old boy in Paris is making hundreds of protective face masks from his bedroom using 3D printers, after realising that a nearby hospital was in dire need of more supplies in the fight against Covid-19.

France to offer digital Covid-19 confinement forms

Digital Covid-19 confinement forms that can be filled in and read by police entirely on your smartphone are to be available in France from Monday April 6, the government has confirmed.