Particle.news
Download on the App Store

French Senate Backs Sweeping Anti‑Fraud Bill With Expanded Data Powers

A Tuesday final vote looms, with the fiscal watchdog and left‑wing lawmakers disputing the government’s 2026 revenue claims.

Overview

  • Senators adopted measures to let France Travail consult phone records and airline data to verify residency and impose temporary suspensions when multiple serious fraud indicators are flagged.
  • Unemployment benefits would be paid only to accounts domiciled in France or the European Union, a change the government says aids recovery of overpayments and that critics call discriminatory.
  • The upper house approved anti–money laundering rules covering luxury‑goods transactions above €10,000, tougher penalties for organized fraud against public finances, and tax checks on card payment terminals.
  • The bill broadens inter‑agency access to fiscal and social data for CPAM, CARSAT, CNAM and CNAV, adds a possible suspension of third‑party payment after fraud convictions, and requires CPF learners to sit certification exams absent a legitimate reason.
  • The government targets about €2.3 billion in extra 2026 receipts from the package, but the HCFP deems the €1.5 billion fiscal yield unrealistic as left parties decry intrusive surveillance and focus on social beneficiaries.