Combating Islamic terrorism was in 2024 the main reason for the use of surveillance techniques by French intelligence agencies, outstripping the fight against organised crime, according to the independent commission whose remit is to scrutinise the use of these intrusive tools.

“The prevention of terrorism became the main reason, both in terms of the number of individuals (30% of those placed under surveillance) and the methods used (39.3% of requests), the National Commission for the Control of Technical Intelligence (CNCTR) explained in its annual report for 2024, released today.

Last March, the French government recalled that the terrorist threat “increased suddenly” after October 2023, when war broke out in the Gaza Strip and then with the overthrow of the Syrian regime, which intensified geopolitical instability. “In 2024, the [i.e. French] services thwarted nine attempted attacks, the perpetrators of which were mainly sympathisers of the Islamic State”, the organisation that remains the main exogenous threat to the country.

The CNCTR has the power to approve any request for the use of some kind of technical surveillance by the various French services entitled to use them [Directorate General of External Security (DGSE), Directorate General of Internal Security (DGSI), customs, prison service, etc.].

2024 was a special year for France, as it hosted the Olympics, many elections were organised, there were riots in New Caledonia, CNCTR president Vincent Mazoric summarised.

The total number of people put under surveillance remained relatively stable, at 24,308 (+0.4%), while in 2023 there was a sharp increase (+15%). Also, the total number of people using surveillance techniques increased by 3%, to 98,883.

In 2023, for the first time in many years, the number of persons placed under surveillance in the fight against organised crime (including drug trafficking) exceeded the number of persons monitored for counter-terrorism purposes.

In terms of the means used, agencies are increasingly turning to the collection of digitised data, as well as to hidden cameras and microphones in private places (150% increase between 2020-24). Traditional telephone interception is declining, but still accounts for the largest share.