How Bercy tried to access our bank data

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The Directorate General of Public Finance tried, in 2021, to gain access to all banking operations on all accounts in France.

By Erwan Seznec

L’information is a year old, but it was revealed only a few days ago by the Next INpact site. The General Directorate of Public Finance of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (DGFip) has attempted to obtain direct and permanent access to all transactions carried out on all bank accounts opened in France: transfers, deposits, checks issued or cashed, over years, up to ten years after the account is closed. The total !

Obviously infringing on public freedoms, this request was made without the Parliament having discussed it, in great opacity. The aim was to develop, on a technical level, the file of bank and similar accounts (Ficoba). Created in 1971, computerized in 1982, updated in 2002, the Ficoba lists all accounts b…