More than 20,000 under surveillance in France

In its first ever report published Tuesday, the commission charged with overseeing the use of surveillance equipment (CNTR) found that French security services followed the activities of 20,282 people in year October 2015 to October 2016.

A picture taken on January 12, 2012 on the Promenade des Anglais in the French riviera city of Nice, shows a surveillance camera. VALERY HACHE / AFP

According to a report in the French daily newspaper Le Figaro, 47 percent of the people under surveillance during the period were, or are, in the files kept by security agencies on terrorists.

A further 29 percent feature in files dedicated to members of criminal gangs.

In the report from the Commission nationale de contrôle des techniques de renseignement (CNCTR), the types of surveillance used range from the least intrusive techniques possible like an analysis of the bills of targeted individuals, to more intrusive techniques including the use of hidden microphones and video equipment in the homes of those targeted.

It has also used mobile phone tracking and the identification of who the targeted individuals called from mobile phones.

The report also shows that 9642 people are under surveillance to prevent terrorist acts, while 5848 people have been targeted for activities associated with organized crime.

The targets of the surveillance were all considered to be treats to public order and pose a real threat of violence.

It also stressed that the surveillance did not include political organizations, even organizations with extreme views where public order was not threatened.

The remaining 24 percent of those surveyed include both French citizens and foreigners who are suspected of threatening French national sovereignty, who are engaged in industrial espionage, or who are involved with the procurement or creation of weapons of mass destruction.