Implementing the European regulation on digital services (RSN/DSA): Arcom grants Comité national contre le tabagisme trusted flag status

As part of the European Digital Services Regulation (DSR), which aims to promote a safer Internet within the European Union, Arcom is responsible, in its capacity as Digital Services Coordinator (DSC), for designating trusted flaggers whose mission is to submit reports of manifestly illegal content to online platforms.

This status is granted to organizations recognized for their expertise in detecting, identifying and reporting unlawful content to platforms, in one or more specific areas.

The Comité national contre le tabagisme (CNCT), founded in 1968 and recognized as an association of public utility since 1977, works to ensure compliance with legislation and regulations on the prevention of smoking and nicotine addiction through advocacy actions.

In this context, the association believes that the granting of trusted flagger status will facilitate its demands for the removal from online platforms of unlawful content clearly promoting tobacco products, or electronic cigarettes, for which marketing strategies on social networks seem to target teenagers as a priority.

The Comité national contre le tabagisme is the ninth trusted flagger designated by Arcom, after: e-Enfance; ALPA; IFAW; INDECOSA-CGT; Point de contact; Addictions France; Crif and Licra.

The CNCT is the second association, after Addictions France, to benefit from trusted flaggers status. Both are long-standing partners of public health authorities. Arcom's decision to designate the CNCT as a trusted flagger is fully in line with the Authority's strategic project for the period 2026-2028, one of whose priority objectives is to strengthen the fight agains public health risks on platforms.

Arcom, which recalls the essential role of trusted flaggers in the fight against unlawful content present online, invites all organizations committed to the subject, whatever their area of expertise, to apply via a permanently accessible window at this link.

The trusted flaggers appointed by Arcom are responsible for submitting reports of presumed illegal content to online platforms. The report must be substantiated, and the platform must treat it as a priority. If it agrees with the trusted flagger's analysis, the online platform is obliged to revoke or disable access to the allegedly unlawful content. Trusted flaggers can report content to any platform used in France, regardless of where the platform is based: in France, in another EU country or elsewhere in the world. The Internet user who published the reported content is informed if it is removed. They can demand a second review of their content by the platform, and, where appropriate, challenge the platform's decision before a judge and, at the same time, an out-of-court dispute settlement body. Trusted flaggers enjoy the same rights. Both trusted flaggers and platforms are required to report on their respective content reporting and moderation activities in an annual transparency report.