French government takes legal action against website offering access to stolen personal data

The French government announced Friday that it would take legal action against a website that allows users to search personal information obtained from stolen databases.

Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs Anne Le Henanff told broadcaster BFMTV that she had referred the matter to judicial authorities under Article 40 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The public prosecutor’s office is expected to act quickly, and the website is likely to be taken offline soon.

The website Searcher.free, had reportedly been online for 10 days and was exposed in an investigation by broadcaster Franceinfo. The website reportedly allows users to enter keywords to obtain phone numbers, email addresses, postal addresses, health-related information and IBANs.

The data is believed to have originated from cyberattacks and data breaches affecting public institutions and private companies in recent months.