French Police Use Social Media and Cameras to Track Looters

Following the vandalism of stores and looting during protests in France last weekend, security forces launched a large-scale investigation to identify suspects. A special team in Paris is working to determine the identities of suspects by comparing footage on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Discord with security cameras and facial recognition technology.

Following looting and violence during the protests in France, police turned to digital evidence to identify suspects. A special team stationed at the Security Operations Coordination Center in Paris began reviewing footage shared on social media platforms, along with 80,000 security cameras in and around Paris. Authorities noted that victims often share incidents on social media instead of going to police stations, and these posts serve as a starting point for investigations. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announced that facial recognition technology would be used to compare footage with mugshots in the police database. Under the instructions of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, more than 200 researchers and police officers were assigned, and a national detection unit combining public transport security units and organized crime combat teams was established.

Meanwhile, in the city of Vienne near Lyon, a 19-year-old masked individual was caught passing in front of the police station with bags containing stolen clothes, shoes, and jewelry. The Vienne Prosecutor's Office reported that the total value of the recovered items was approximately 4,500 euros, and the suspect confessed to stealing some of the items from a store.