The year 2024 promises to be complex for Free. The operator is facing a series of crises which are damaging its reputation and risk having a lasting impact on the confidence of its subscribers. The most serious concerns a massive leak of personal data, affecting nearly 20 million customers. A situation which occurs while the company has just been condemned on several occasions for questionable commercial practices.
A data leak of worrying proportions
The nightmare began with the announcement of a major hack of Free’s systems. A cybercriminal operating under the pseudonym “DarkAngel” managed to steal sensitive information concerning the operator’s subscribers. The loot is considerable: names, first names, addresses, telephone numbers, and even more worrying, the banking details of more than 5 million customers.
The situation got even worse when the hacker announced on the dark web that he resold this precious data for around 160,000 euros. Cybersecurity experts now fear malicious exploitation of this information, particularly for targeted phishing campaigns or identity theft attempts.
Faced with this major crisis, the authorities have mobilized. The CNIL opened an in-depth investigation while ANSSI sent its experts to the operator. Free, for its part, tries to reassure its subscribers by setting up a crisis unit and recommending the preventive modification of passwords. Since this data leak, the resurgence of scam calls has exploded among the operator’s subscribers.
Commercial practices under fire
As if the data leak was not enough, Free has been condemned for its commercial practices. The latest concerns an advertisement deemed misleading about its 5G offer. The Paris Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the Familles Rurales association which contested the operator’s promises on flow rates and coverage of the territory.
The operator notably praised “ speed up to three times faster than 4G » while covering 40% of the French population « without additional cost “. Claims that the courts found to be false, in particular because access to 5G requires the acquisition of a compatible smartphone, thereby implying an additional cost for consumers.
Even more serious, the General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) has just imposed a fine of 2.2 million euros on Free. In question, cancellation of phone orders without refund within a reasonable timea practice that extended from August 2020 to January 2022.
An uncertain future for the operator
These successive events weaken Free’s position on the French telecoms market. Consumer associations, UFC-Que Choisir and CLCV in the lead, are considering collective actions to defend the interests of subscribers who are victims of the data leak. The potential damage could amount to millions of euros, not counting the impact on the company’s reputation.
The accumulation of problems at Free could push some customers to turn to the competition. For Xavier Niel’s operator, the time has come to regain confidence. The company will not only have to significantly strengthen its IT security, but also review its business practices to avoid new sanctions.
- A massive leak of personal data affects 20 million Free subscribers, including 5 million with their bank details exposed
- The operator accumulates convictions for deceptive commercial practices, particularly on its 5G offers
- Consumer confidence is shaken, with associations preparing collective actions against the operator
