CNIL reports record complaints and data breaches

The French data protection authority CNIL reported a record year in 2025 for complaints, fines and data breach notifications, while preparing for new responsibilities under the EU AI Act.

CNIL received 20,150 complaints in 2025, up 10% from 2024. The complaints covered issues linked to work, commerce, real estate, social networks and data breaches, with around 1,900 complaints directly concerning breaches.

The authority also received 6,167 data breach notifications, an increase of 9.5% from 2024. Hacking accounted for one in two reported incidents, while cybersecurity failures represented one-third of investigations and nearly 30% of sanctions.

In total, CNIL carried out 323 investigations and issued 259 corrective measures, including 83 sanctions worth nearly €487 million. Two major sanctions accounted for a large share of the total, while the simplified procedure introduced in 2022 allowed faster action in less complex cases.

Cybersecurity will become an even bigger enforcement focus in 2026, with CNIL planning to devote 50% of its controls and enforcement actions to data security. Checks will focus on organisations affected by breaches, those subject to complaints and sectors processing large volumes of sensitive or highly personal data.

The report also highlights CNIL’s role in supporting professionals and public authorities. In 2025, it processed 539 health authorisation applications, handled 1,351 professional advice requests, delivered 90 opinions on draft laws or regulatory texts and launched seven public consultations.

On AI, CNIL is already designated to monitor prohibited uses under the EU AI Act and is expected to become the market surveillance authority for certain high-risk AI systems, including in biometrics, migration, law enforcement, employment and education.

The authority also published AI resources for designers and developers, developed a traceability tool for open-source AI models and joined the PANAME project with ANSSI, Inria and PEReN to test whether AI models process personal data.

Why does it matter?

CNIL’s annual report shows how data protection enforcement is increasingly shaped by cybersecurity and AI. Record breach notifications and complaints point to growing pressure on organisations to secure personal data, while CNIL’s future AI Act responsibilities place the authority at the centre of France’s oversight of prohibited and high-risk AI systems.

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