France to Add FR-Alert Mobile Broadcasts to Child-Abduction System

Overview

• Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announced the planned integration on March 12, marking the system’s 20th anniversary, without giving a start date.
• Authorities aim to reach about 75% of smartphone holders to accelerate public awareness and improve the chances of locating abducted minors.
• FR-Alert sends geo-targeted messages that appear on phones without internet access and even in standby, working across major, secondary, and some cross‑border operators.
• The new channel will supplement existing media and transport-hub broadcasts, and the prosecutor-led activation process and criteria remain unchanged.
• The ministry also signed a convention with digital signage firm Cocktail Vision to boost the visibility of alerts in public spaces.