France 2.4

Digital transformation has become one of the most significant drivers of change in French cultural policy. Digital technologies increasingly influence the creation, production, distribution, preservation and consumption of cultural content across all sectors, including heritage, performing arts, audiovisual media, publishing, museums, libraries and cultural and creative industries.

Since the early 2000s, public authorities have progressively developed policies aimed at supporting digital innovation while protecting cultural diversity and creators’ rights. Initially focused on the digitisation of collections and online access to cultural resources, digital policy has expanded to address broader issues such as platform regulation, copyright protection, data governance, digital sovereignty and artificial intelligence.

France has played a pioneering role in the regulation of digital cultural markets. A major milestone was the creation in 2009 of the Haute Autorité pour la Diffusion des Œuvres et la Protection des droits sur Internet (HADOPI), tasked with combating online copyright infringement through a graduated response mechanism. In 2022, HADOPI merged with the Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel (CSA) to form the Autorité de régulation de la communication audiovisuelle et numérique (ARCOM). The new authority is responsible for regulating audiovisual and digital communication services, safeguarding media pluralism, combating online piracy, and ensuring compliance with regulations applicable to online platforms.

Digital transformation has profoundly altered cultural consumption patterns. Streaming services have become the dominant mode of access to recorded music, while digital distribution plays an increasingly important role in the audiovisual, publishing and video game sectors. These developments have generated new policy concerns regarding the visibility of European and French cultural content, the remuneration of creators and the concentration of digital markets.

Many of these challenges are now addressed through European regulatory frameworks. The Digital Services Act (DSA) became fully applicable to all online platforms and digital service providers in the European Union on 17 February 2024, while the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) entered into force on 1 August 2024. These regulations have significant implications for cultural content distribution, platform accountability, algorithmic transparency and the use of generative artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence has emerged as a major topic in cultural policy debates. Public authorities and professional organisations increasingly focus on issues such as copyright protection, the use of cultural content for AI training, the remuneration of creators, transparency obligations and the preservation of human creativity in artistic production. These discussions are particularly important for the publishing, music, audiovisual and visual arts sectors.

The digitisation and online dissemination of cultural heritage remain important priorities. The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) operates Gallica, one of Europe’s largest digital libraries, providing access to more than 10 million digitised documents. The Ministry of Culture also manages the Plateforme Ouverte du Patrimoine (POP), which provides online access to millions of records relating to museums, archives, architecture, archaeology and protected heritage. Museums, libraries and archives continue to expand digital collections, virtual exhibitions and online educational resources.

Digital technologies are also increasingly used to broaden access to culture and reduce territorial inequalities. The Micro-Folies programme, launched in 2017, provides digital access to national museum collections and cultural resources in smaller towns and underserved areas in France and abroad. Similarly, the Pass Culture, deployed nationwide in 2021, relies on a digital platform that has enabled more than 4 million young people to access cultural activities and services.

Digital innovation has also fostered the development of new artistic practices. Public support mechanisms encourage experimentation in digital arts, immersive experiences, virtual and augmented reality, video games and hybrid forms of creation. The Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) and the Ministry of Culture support these developments through dedicated funding schemes and innovation programmes. France is internationally recognised as a leading hub for digital creation, particularly in the fields of video games, animation and immersive experiences. The country hosts globally successful companies such as Ubisoft and benefits from a dense ecosystem of studios, research centres and specialised higher education institutions. Public policies seek to strengthen this ecosystem while encouraging innovation, artistic experimentation and the international competitiveness of French cultural and creative industries.

At the same time, digitalisation raises broader questions relating to digital inclusion, cybersecurity, data governance and environmental sustainability. While digital technologies have expanded access to cultural resources, significant disparities in digital access and skills remain. According to the French digital inclusion barometer from ARCOM, approximately 15% of the population experiences difficulties with digital technologies, affecting access to online public and cultural services. Public authorities also face growing challenges related to cybersecurity and the long-term preservation of digital cultural heritage. In parallel, the environmental impact of digital technologies has become an increasing concern: digital activities are estimated to account for around 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions (according to the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME)) prompting cultural institutions and creative industries to integrate digital sustainability considerations into their strategies. Public authorities increasingly seek to balance technological innovation with the protection of cultural diversity, creators’ rights and public access to culture.

Overall, French digital cultural policy has evolved from a focus on digitisation and online access towards a broader strategy addressing platform governance, artificial intelligence, digital participation and the protection of cultural diversity in the digital age.