Author: József László
Infovilág | 7 Nov 2025
Misleading posts about digital identity cards are becoming commonplace online as various European countries and the European Union itself prepare to introduce digital ID systems. One recurring claim circulating online alleges that France is “entering a new era of total traceability” by linking digital identity cards with users’ social media accounts.
France Identité is an app that allows users to create a digital identity based on the new format of the French national ID card, enabling people to verify their identity both online and offline. Use of the app is optional and it is not intended to replace the physical ID card. Several other European countries already have digital identity systems, such as Denmark, Estonia and Spain, while others — including Germany and the Netherlands — are planning to introduce them or are participating in the EU’s digital identity wallet initiative.
Digital identity cards serve a variety of functions, including accessing public services, signing digital documents, and using online banking. However, a post on X claims that a new French measure would link digital IDs to users’ social media accounts, theoretically enabling authorities to combat “bad actors” — but unofficially representing another step towards a society where words and opinions are monitored.
The post includes a video featuring Paul Midy — a member of the French parliament and President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party — stating that the measure would prevent complete anonymity online to help tackle impunity in cases of cyberbullying and other illegal activities.
However, the caption is incorrect: although French lawmakers did consider linking digital identity cards to citizens’ social media accounts, these proposals were rejected, and the country is not preparing to introduce such a measure.
The idea first emerged in 2023 during debates on the loi visant à sécuriser et à réguler l’espace numérique (the law aiming to secure and regulate the digital space), also known as the SREN law.
Midy and others submitted an amendment that would have required the creation of social media accounts to be verified by a state-recognised third party — such as the digital ID. People could still have used pseudonyms and profile pictures unrelated to their real identities, but the government would have been able to trace them in the event of a violation because the account would be linked to their digital ID.
The Midy video attached to the social media post — along with his comments — is genuine. However, it comes from an interview with the French radio station RTL at the time when lawmakers were discussing the proposed amendment.
The Cube found that the video first appeared on YouTube on 19 September 2023. The final law came into effect in May 2024 without requiring people to link their digital IDs to their social media accounts. As things currently stand, a digital ID can, for example, be used to verify a person’s age when creating a social media account, but citizens are not obliged to do this, and the digital ID is not automatically linked to their accounts.
Misleading narratives about digital identity cards are common online. The Cube previously debunked claims that the EU’s digital wallet was merely a pretext for Brussels to deprive citizens of their privacy and control their lives. Independent experts clarified at the time that the initiative is intended to give users more privacy and control — not take it away.
This article was produced with the financial support of the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Infovilág | 7 Nov 2025
Misleading posts about digital identity cards are becoming commonplace online as various European countries and the European Union itself prepare to introduce digital ID systems. One recurring claim circulating online alleges that France is “entering a new era of total traceability” by linking digital identity cards with users’ social media accounts.
France Identité is an app that allows users to create a digital identity based on the new format of the French national ID card, enabling people to verify their identity both online and offline. Use of the app is optional and it is not intended to replace the physical ID card. Several other European countries already have digital identity systems, such as Denmark, Estonia and Spain, while others — including Germany and the Netherlands — are planning to introduce them or are participating in the EU’s digital identity wallet initiative.
Digital identity cards serve a variety of functions, including accessing public services, signing digital documents, and using online banking. However, a post on X claims that a new French measure would link digital IDs to users’ social media accounts, theoretically enabling authorities to combat “bad actors” — but unofficially representing another step towards a society where words and opinions are monitored.
The post includes a video featuring Paul Midy — a member of the French parliament and President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party — stating that the measure would prevent complete anonymity online to help tackle impunity in cases of cyberbullying and other illegal activities.
However, the caption is incorrect: although French lawmakers did consider linking digital identity cards to citizens’ social media accounts, these proposals were rejected, and the country is not preparing to introduce such a measure.
The idea first emerged in 2023 during debates on the loi visant à sécuriser et à réguler l’espace numérique (the law aiming to secure and regulate the digital space), also known as the SREN law.
Midy and others submitted an amendment that would have required the creation of social media accounts to be verified by a state-recognised third party — such as the digital ID. People could still have used pseudonyms and profile pictures unrelated to their real identities, but the government would have been able to trace them in the event of a violation because the account would be linked to their digital ID.
The Midy video attached to the social media post — along with his comments — is genuine. However, it comes from an interview with the French radio station RTL at the time when lawmakers were discussing the proposed amendment.
The Cube found that the video first appeared on YouTube on 19 September 2023. The final law came into effect in May 2024 without requiring people to link their digital IDs to their social media accounts. As things currently stand, a digital ID can, for example, be used to verify a person’s age when creating a social media account, but citizens are not obliged to do this, and the digital ID is not automatically linked to their accounts.
Misleading narratives about digital identity cards are common online. The Cube previously debunked claims that the EU’s digital wallet was merely a pretext for Brussels to deprive citizens of their privacy and control their lives. Independent experts clarified at the time that the initiative is intended to give users more privacy and control — not take it away.
This article was produced with the financial support of the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.
