What is Pharos? The reporting platform everyone is talking about right now

The Pharos platform was set up around fifteen years ago to receive reports from Internet users on all content that contravenes the law.

The question of internet regulation is a problem that has been around for a long time now, and which has still not found good solutions. Although there has been a lot of talk about it at the European level with the Digital Services Act, France, for its part, has long since equipped itself with a tool to receive all illicit content, whether it comes from social networks or from elsewhere.

In France, it’s already old news

The reporting by Internet users of content that does not respect the law has recently been greatly encouraged by the authorities. However, France had already long ago implemented a tool which applies not only to large platforms, but to the entire Internet.

This is Pharos, an acronym for “ Platform for harmonization, analysis, cross-checking and guidance of reports “. Created in 2009, it allows links to potentially disturbing content to be transmitted, which are then processed by the police. Once sorted, they then transmit what they consider dangerous or illicit to the courts or intelligence services.

A lot of content can be reported

And the authorities are open to reporting a wide range of content, which can respond to the following list:

• Endangering people
• Terrorism
• Threats or incitement to violence
• Pedophile or corruption of minors on the Internet
• Incitement to hatred
• Illicit trafficking
• Act of cruelty to animals
• Scam
• Insult or defamation
• Spam

Once the choice of category has been made, the Internet user must then communicate the link leading to said content, say if they are the person potentially victim then specify on what type of platform the criminal act was produced (social network, website, messaging…). Note that on Pharos, like 17, police officers are able to collect reports 24 hours a day.

Source : Pharos Platform