ON DECRYPT
Facebook, a new tool against tax fraud? In the future, the government wants to collect photos, videos and classified ads on social networks. The purpose of this article inserted in the 2020 Finance Bill is to identify fraudsters who are now falling through the cracks.
Be careful what you post on the Internet
Bercy targets people who use platforms like Facebook or Le Bon Coin to get rich without declaring it to the tax authorities. For this, the administration will launch a three-year experiment. It will comb the public data of French Internet users, on social networks and retail sites between individuals, in search of fraudsters. The collected data will be processed "computerized" by an algorithm.
Take examples. It could be someone who posts a photo of his luxury car on Instagram when it does not appear on his statement of assets. Or someone who would propose on resale sites astonishing quantities of a product, legal or illegal. Or a person domiciled in Belgium for tax reasons but who, in his photos Facebook, is a little too often in France.
Fear for freedom of expression
Except that the government that monitors social networks, that causes concern. In its opinion released Monday, the CNIL, the National Commission for Data Protection and Freedom, feared that this measure does "undermine the freedom of expression and opinion." "The fact that the individuals concerned are aware that their data posted on social networks can be collected is not enough for the administrations that wish to exploit them to be exempted from their regulatory obligations," says Europe 1 Emilie Seruga-Cau, head of the service of regal business at the Cnil.
The organization recognizes "the legitimacy of the objectives pursued" but asks the government to set up safeguards, in particular to deal only with the data needed to combat tax evasion. Faced with reluctance, the government calm down the game and ensures that the data will not be kept forever. 30 days if they do not lead to the finding of an offense. And maximum 1 year when an offense is found but no criminal investigation is opened.