A 15-year-old hacked the state and offered 11 million identity cards, passports, and driving licenses to criminals.

Error detected

The claim states that 11 million identity cards, passports, and driving licences were 'offered to criminals'. In fact, personal data from the ANTS database was offered for sale on the dark web — not the physical documents themselves.

Omissions

• The claim implies that 11 million physical identity documents were exfiltrated and handed over to criminals. In reality, what was stolen and offered for sale was personal data (login IDs, full names, email addresses, dates of birth) stored in the ANTS application system, not the documents themselves.
• The 15-year-old, operating under the alias 'breach3d', has been arrested but is only suspected; no conviction has occurred.
• Some sources report up to 19 million records affected, though the widely cited figure for individuals concerned is around 11 million — the discrepancy between 'records' and 'people' is not clarified in the claim.
• The MEP did not cite any source for the claim during the speech.

Sources

• SecondaryFrance24A French teen was taken into temporary custody over suspected involvement in the hacking of the Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés (ANTS). The teenager is accused of taking part in a data breach that resulted in millions of records being offered for sale on the dark web.
• SecondarySud Ouest11 millions de Français concernés par le piratage de l'ANTS. Un jeune de 15 ans a été interpellé après l'attaque informatique de l'Agence nationale des titres sécurisés, entraînant des fuites de données personnelles.
• SecondaryThe RecordA teenage hacker is suspected of breaching a French government agency responsible for identity documents and attempting to sell millions of records on the dark web. The minor was taken into police custody on April 25, 2026.