With online scams on the rise and the sophisticated methods scammers use to steal confidential information, the government is taking an innovative approach to counteract these fraudulent practices and protect internet users.
Jean-Noël Barrot (modem), ministerial delegate in charge of digital transformation, proposes measures to combat online scams and fraudulent SMS, which are widespread. In particular, he wants to attack “Chaos Engineers,” which are criminal groups that exploit the overconfidence of Internet users. During the Council of Ministers on Wednesday 10 May, a bill was presented that will be presented to the Senate this summer and then to the National Assembly. The aim is to put an end to online fraud more effectively.
Cheating will soon be finally punished
The French government has drafted a law to create a “national consumer cybersecurity filter” to protect internet users from malicious websites and online scams. A management authority will be responsible for monitoring this system and detecting online violations on specific websites. These crimes include activities such as identity theft, fraudulent collection of personal information, hacking and payment fraud. Once the breach is identified, the agency can report the website address to access providers and browser editors to prevent access to that address and warn users of the risk of attempting access. The ban lasts at least seven days, but can be extended until the violation has ended.
The authority can send a letter to the publisher of the website to update them on the situation. Objection is possible, so the editor has the opportunity to submit comments and objections. A qualified person is responsible for checking the decisions of the administrative authority. The text also provides for a transparency component, namely an annual report detailing the various measures taken by the blocking authority.
The administrative authority has the right to send correspondence to the publisher of the site to inform him of the situation. Recourse mechanisms will be put in place to allow the publisher to submit comments and disputes. A qualified person is appointed to monitor the decisions of the administrative authority. The bill is part of Emmanuel Macron’s “100 Days” roadmap and will require the collaborative work of multiple stakeholders to be implemented.
An extension to warn users about suspicious links
Originally, “Fraud Filter” was intended as an optional extension for web browsers like Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, etc. This extension would have the function of filtering websites according to their risk level and warning internet users in real time. Since then the project has made significant progress and the government has set up a ‘task force’ to implement it. Thus, the project progresses and becomes a reality.
Cybermalveillance director Jérôme Notin explained that this filter will not eliminate spam or malicious emails. But it warns users when they click dangerous links by blocking them or highlighting their harmfulness with a notification. In other words: phishing attempts are not blocked, but the consequences of these attempts are limited.
