FAQ - Role and missions

With the creation of Arcom, we have created an integrated regulator with a broader remit, notably covering the creative chain, from the setting of obligations to the protection of royalties and the fight agains piracy. The new authority is also more in touch with digital challenges, such as the fight against the manipulation of information and hateful content, and the regulation of video by contract platforms, with the obligations incumbent on them.

Far from being a simple juxtaposition of the competencies of the French Superior Audiovisual Council and Hadopi, Arcom supports and drives a new public policy by modernising the exercise of regulation. It embodies the new model of audiovisuel and digital regulation: regulation that listens more closely to audiences and their concerns, but is also resolutely committed to defending freedom of expression, information and creation. This major change has naturally been accompanied by major adjustments to our internal organization.

The French regulatory authority for audiovisual and digital communication (Arcom) is an independent public authority (API). APIs have legal personality and are therefore directly liable in the event of litigation.

Respect for freedom of communication, which underpins the entire organization of the French audiovisual landscape, authorizes the representation or evocation of themes likely to shock youngsters (violence, sexuality, etc.). This is where Arcom's role as regulator is decisive: it supervises the diffusion of such content (cf. Articles 1 and 15 of the law on freedom of communication).

To protect children and teenagers, Arcom has adopted the principle of shared responsibility, involving :

• editors, who are responsible for classifying content and fulfilling their commitments;
• families and educators, who are responsible for ensuring compliance with the "youth" label and for accompanying persons under 18;
• Arcom itself, which monitors content classification and compliance with commitments, and raises awareness of the impact of violent or shocking programs on youngsters.

At the same time as Arcom's regulations, adults have a duty to support children and teenagers, helping them to distance themselves from violent images or other images and messages likely to destabilize them.

Arcom is responsible, by law, for enforcing a fair representation of diversity of French society in the audiovisual media (television and radio) and on all their supports (cf: 2006 modification of the September 30, 1986 law on freedom of communication).

Each year, Arcom reports to Parliament on publishers' actions to promote the representation of diversity of French society, and proposes appropriate measures to improve the representation of this diversity in all programme types.

Every year, tens of thousands of you alert Arcom to a television or radio segment.

Arcom examines all the listener and viewer alerts that are officially submitted to it, no matter how many there are.

Arcom's review is guided solely by the substance of the question raised.

Finally, when Arcom intervenes with a TV channel or radio station, it is always after the program has been shown, never before.

1. Arcom's teams analyze what you report to us.
2. They view or listen to and analyze the footage, and make a legal assessment of the problem raised in the light of the channel's or radio station's obligations.

Arcom never gives a ruling in the heat of the moment, but rather at the end of proceedings that respect the rights of all parties.

Arcom intervenes with the channel, station or service if it finds that they have committed an infringement of the law.

The problem identified is legally qualified, i.e. the facts are translated into legal terms in order to determine the applicable rule of law. Arcom then engages in a dialogue with the channels or radio stations to ascertain their observations.

Prevention before legal sanctions: that's Arcom's mission.

Arcom's objective is to intervene gradually, to avoid immediate legal sanctions.

When it observes a breach of legislative or regulatory obligations, or of commitments made in the agreements it signs with editors' commitments, Arcom can, depending on the case, intervene in a graduated manner:

1. Regulatory reminder letter
2. Letter of warning
3. Formal notice

By law, any legal sanctions (see specific proceedings below) must be preceded by a formal notice. This serves as a warning.

The TV licence fee (now known as the contribution à l'audiovisuel public) has been abolished for all taxpayers for 2022 and subsequent years.

The contribution à l'audiovisuel public was the main resource of this public sector. This public sector comprises France Télévisions (mainly the France 2, France 3, France 4, France 5 and overseas France channels), Arte France (the Arte channel), Radio France (mainly France Inter, France Info, France Culture, France Musique and France Bleu), France Médias Monde (Radio France Internationale, the France 24 and TV5 Monde channels) and the Institut national de l'audiovisuel (INA), responsible for preserving audiovisual archives. Thanks to the means allocated to them, public service channels are able to offer their programs throughout most of mainland France and the French overseas territories, as well as in other countries. Their public service missions include diffusing programs from the Institut National de la Consommation, direct expression programs for political parties and professional organizations, religious programs, election campaign programs, and so on. These missions are carried out at a time when public audiovisuel makes less use of advertising and sponsorship than private channels.

False information is everywhere, but most often it's spread on social networks.

We speak of disinformation when there is a will to deceive and misinformation when one is mistaken.

The 2018 anti-infox law entrusts Arcom with the task of supervising the schemes put in place by the major content platforms to fight agains information manipulation.

Arcom does not intervene in the platforms' content. Instead, Arcom issues them with notices designed to help them fight infomercials more effectively. The aim is to improve

• reporting tools
• User information
• Algorithm transparency
• Visibility of verified information
• Media and information education

To carry out its mission, Arcom has set up a committee of external experts and a dedicated team. Each year, Arcom publishes a report on the measures taken by these platforms and suggests improvements.

At the same time, it studies the phenomenon of online disinformation and publishes its analyses.

The Online Hate Observatory, whose mission is to analyze and quantify the phenomenon of online hate, improve understanding of its drivers and dynamics, and promote information sharing and feedback between stakeholders, was set up by the French Superior Audiovisual Council (now Arcom) on July 8, 2020, and met for the second time on Thursday, October 15, 2020.

The 3rd meeting of the online hate observatory, held on Thursday, May 20, 2021, was an opportunity to make an initial assessment of the work carried out and to bear witness to the consolidated dialogue and cooperation between the stakeholders.

The Arcom board is made up of nine members:

• A chairman appointed by the President of the Republic.

• Three members appointed by the President of the French National Assembly.

• Three members appointed by the President of the French Senate.

• One member appointed by the Vice-President of the Conseil d'État.

• One member appointed by the First President of the final court of appeal.

This diversity of appointments guarantees the independence of the Authority.

• Protecting audiences and the diversity of French society.

• Media literacy, ecological transition and public health.

• Audiovisual, cinematic and musical creation and production.

• Pluralism and ethics in news and programs.

• Online platforms.

• Radio and digital audio.

• Television and on-demand audiovisual media services.

• Protection of rights on the Internet.

These groups enable coherent, cross-sector regulation.

Since February 2, 2025, the President of Arcom has been Martin Ajdari, appointed for a non-renewable six-year term.

The members of the college are

• Chairman: Martin Ajdari

• Advisor: Catherine Jentile de Canecaude

• Advisor: Juliette Théry

• Advisor: Benoît Loutrel

• Advisor: Romain Laleix

• Advisor: Laurence Pécaut-Rivolier

• Councillor: Denis Rapone

• Councillor: Bénédicte Lesage

• Councillor: Antoine Boilley

Each member of the college chairs or co-chairs a thematic working group, and acts as vice-chair of another group. They lead these groups, set their objectives, and act as the main contacts for players in the audiovisual and digital industries on issues falling within the competence of their group.

Arcom members are appointed for a single, non-renewable six-year term.

The Chairman of Arcom is appointed by the President of the Republic.

Three members are appointed by the President of the French National Assembly.

Three members are appointed by the President of the French Senate.

One member is appointed by the Vice-President of the Conseil d'État.

One member is appointed by the First President of the final court of appeal.

This diversity of appointments guarantees the independence of the Authority.