Spymaster | France
France's anti-foreign interference boss has work cut out as elections loom

The Agencies' Gazette
Viginum, CCP, Pentagon bankers, Paris-Manila military agreement

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community.

FranceViginum boss kept Élysée in dark over exit

ChinaCCP ramps up language learning at police, defence academies

USPentagon draws Wall Street bankers to boost innovation

France/PhilippinesMilitary visits agreement to be ratified

France
France's DGSE rejects growing fortune teller role

As the world's crises increase, French government departments are increasingly calling on the DGSE foreign intelligence agency to predict the geopolitical future. A Court of Auditors' report has for the first time highlighted the service's growing irritation with this flood of requests.

France
French services to track tax fraudsters

France's National Assembly last week passed a bill to fight social welfare and tax fraud that means administrative surveillance can be carried out on suspected fraudsters.

France
French intelligence watchdog and Council of State push for changes to algorithms bill

The French government has amended the procedure governing the approval of algorithmic surveillance systems in the draft bill to update France's military programming law.

France, Morocco
Security clearance refusal threatens to cool warming Franco-Moroccan security ties

It appears that a refusal to grant security clearance to a French foreign ministry chief of staff resulting in her dismissal was motivated by her ties with Morocco, despite the fact the two countries collaborate closely over security matters.

France
Paris sees RDI cyber intercept data centralised by end of 2027

As called for by France's interception watchdog, the project to centralise data from RDI digital intelligence gathering is progressing. French services' technical departments are working with the CNRLT coordination centre for intelligence and counterterrorism to have it ready next year.

France, Poland
French consulting firm Iron Bridge looks to the East

Iron Bridge, launched just six months ago by the founders of Euro Créative think tank, is exploring opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe with a view to reviving Paris's connections in the region.

France
French cyber agency Viginum's head of ops moves to private sector

After around three years in France's fledgling agency dedicated to combating foreign disinformation, Viginum's head of operations is set to join the Finnish disinformation-fighting company Check First.

France
France's SGDSN budget finances new anti-fake news technology for Viginum

France's new anti-fake news service Viginum has been allocated €4m to procure technology and hire 25 additional staff in signs which suggest the service is poised to work more closely with the French intelligence community.

France
Emmanuel Macron launches anti-fake news task force Honfleur

France's main intelligence services have been roped into a project coordinated by its Secretariat-General for National Defence and Security (SGDSN), which will identify private companies which could help tackle disinformation.