A high-profile case of 'doxing' has emerged in France following the public exposure of the identity of 'Marcel,' an anonymous X (formerly Twitter) user and activist supporting Jean-Luc Mélenchon's party, La France Insoumise (LFI). On November 11, the pro-Israel account 'Sword of Salomon,' based in Israel, published the full identity, face, residence, and profession of 'Marcel,' who is followed by more than 200,000 people 20 Minutes. Following these revelations, 'Marcel' and his family became targets of threats, prompting the activist to share screenshots of harassing messages aimed at his loved ones 20 Minutes.
The account 'Sword of Salomon' has a history of tracking individuals it accuses of holding antisemitic views or criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the case of 'Marcel,' the account criticized his publications regarding the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) and his descriptions of supporters of Israel's war in Gaza as 'genocidaires' 20 Minutes. Beyond the public reveal, 'Sword of Salomon' contacted the victim's employer to demand sanctions based on his social media positions. This request was reportedly relayed and supported by Jérémie Patrier-Leitus, a deputy from the Horizons party and spokesperson for Édouard Philippe, although the deputy later told Le HuffPost that he intended to relay a collective effort and did not condone these methods 20 Minutes.
In response to the incident, Aurélien Saintoul, a deputy for LFI, announced that he has referred the matter to the Public Prosecutor, characterizing the doxing as an illegal act of intimidation 20 Minutes. Doxing—the practice of gathering and publishing private information to expose someone to online harassment—has been a recognized criminal offense in France since August 25, 2021 20 Minutes. Introduced as the 'Samuel Paty amendment' within the law against separatism, Article 36 (referenced as 223-1-1 in the penal code) punishes the dissemination of private, family, or professional information intended to expose the person or their family to a direct risk of harm to persons or property 20 Minutes, CURRENT|20 Minutes.
The legal penalties for doxing in France include up to three years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros. These penalties increase to five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros if the victim is a civil servant, an elected official, a journalist, a minor, or a person with a disability 20 Minutes. French law stipulates that simply relaying such information via social media can be sufficient for prosecution, provided it is established that the author could not ignore the risk posed to the victim 20 Minutes.
The current climate is marked by heightened tensions. Recent reports highlight other instances of digital warfare, including the distribution of phone numbers of pro-Palestinian sympathizers on Telegram by pro-Israeli militants in February 2024 20 Minutes. Furthermore, a list containing the phone numbers of four left-wing personalities was found in the possession of the main suspect in a racist attack in Trappes on October 23 20 Minutes.
Historically, doxing gained global visibility during the 2014 'Gamergate' campaign, which targeted women in the video game industry 20 Minutes. In France, the most tragic example remains that of teacher Samuel Paty in 2020, whose name and workplace were leaked online shortly before his assassination 20 Minutes. More recently, Erik Tegnér, director of the far-right magazine 'Frontières,' was sentenced in June to six months suspended prison and a 10,000 euro fine for publishing the names and workplaces of lawyers specializing in foreigners' rights 20 Minutes.
While 'Sword of Salomon' claims to have exposed around a hundred people since October 7, 2023, its activities have led to further legal challenges, including a complaint for moral harassment filed in December 2025 by a CGT trade unionist from France Télévisions 20 Minutes. Meanwhile, 'Marcel' has stated that despite the exposure, he does not intend to be silenced, asserting that discussions regarding Palestine will continue 20 Minutes.
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