Digital offenses in France showed a slight 2% increase, totaling 3,480,000 incidents in 2024, despite concerns of a cyberattack surge during the Olympic preparations. Property violations decreased by 1%, while offenses against individuals and institutions rose by 7%. A notable decline in hacking cases was observed, with women disproportionately affected as victims. Approximately 60,000 individuals were implicated in these crimes, predominantly adults, with minors accounting for a smaller portion of offenders.
Stability in Digital Offenses Amid Olympic Preparations
In a year marked by the significant milestone of the Olympic Games, digital offenses have remained relatively stable, showing only a minor increase of 2%, as detailed in a recent report from the Ministry of the Interior’s statistical service (SSMSI). By 2024, law enforcement agencies, including the gendarmerie and police, recorded a total of 3,480,000 offenses.
During this period, the heightened global attention on France raised concerns about a potential surge in cyberattacks targeting institutions. However, despite these fears, the anticipated spike in detected digital offenses during the summer of 2024 did not materialize, according to insights from SSMSI statisticians.
Trends in Digital Offenses
Breaking down the statistics, the majority of recorded offenses pertained to digital property violations, which amounted to 226,300 cases—a decrease of 1%. Notably, one-fifth of these incidents were reported via Thésée, the online platform dedicated to reporting fraud, blackmail, and extortion.
Conversely, other categories of digital offenses witnessed an upward trend. Digital violations against individuals rose by 7%, resulting in 103,300 complaints. Similarly, offenses against institutions increased at the same pace, with 17,000 incidents documented in 2024. Moreover, violations of specific digital regulations climbed by 10%.
On a positive note, SSMSI observed a slight decline in violations of automated data processing systems, which encompass hacking and similar fraudulent activities. In 2024, law enforcement recorded 17,100 such offenses, which is a reduction of 900 compared to the previous year.
SSMSI emphasized that these offenses represent the most intricate digital crimes for both perpetrators and investigators. They predominantly involve property violations, with a smaller number (330 cases) targeting individuals.
Overall, adults constitute the majority of victims across all categories of digital offenses. However, women are disproportionately affected, making up 66% of victims in incidents against individuals. Notably, half of these female victims are aged between 18 and 44, despite this age group comprising only 21% of the adult population in France.
Organizations like the Hubertine Auclert center have previously highlighted the alarming prevalence of domestic violence victims who are also subjected to spyware, commonly referred to as stalkerware.
Regarding the offenders, approximately 60,000 individuals were implicated in digital offenses, with adults accounting for 80% of these cases. Among the remaining perpetrators, 8,900 were minors, with more than two-thirds involved in offenses against individuals and a quarter engaging in property-related crimes, as noted by SSMSI.