Legal notices are a set of details that every publicly accessible website must display to identify its publisher and hosting provider. This requirement stems from the French Law on Confidence in the Digital Economy (LCEN) of 21 June 2004. The information required varies according to the publisher’s legal status, the type of business activity and the nature of the data collected from visitors.
Consistency across website pages: the real test of compliance
Publishing a complete legal notices page is not enough. A website may display the right information in the right place and still be inconsistent across its pages. The postal address in the footer, the phone number on the contact page, the company name in the terms and conditions of sale: every instance of the same detail must match exactly what appears in the legal notices.
A change of registered office, a transition from sole proprietorship to a company, or simply switching hosting providers can create discrepancies if only the dedicated page is updated. This kind of inconsistency undermines the website’s overall compliance, even if the “Legal notices” page is correct when viewed on its own.
To illustrate this principle of consistency, the Backlink Links legal notices show how identification details align with information elsewhere on the website.
A useful check is to compare the information displayed in at least four places after every administrative change: the legal notices page, the footer, the contact page and any applicable terms and conditions. If a detail differs from one place to another, the website lacks transparency.
Legal notices required according to the publisher’s legal status
The exact content of legal notices depends on the publisher’s status. The LCEN distinguishes between two main cases: an individual (sole trader or micro-enterprise) and a legal entity (a company such as an SAS, SARL or SA).
Individual
An individual publisher must provide their first and last name, together with the designation “sole trader” or the initials “EI”. They must also include the business’s registered address, an email address and a phone number.
Depending on the type of business activity, additional details may be required:
- For a commercial activity: the registration number in the Trade and Companies Register (RCS) and the intra-Community VAT number, if the business is liable for VAT.
- For a craft activity: the registration number in the National Register of Businesses (RNE).
- For a regulated profession: a reference to the applicable professional rules, the professional title, the EU Member State in which it was granted, and the name of the professional body or organisation with which the publisher is registered.
Legal entity
A company must publish its registered name, legal form and share capital. The address provided must be that of its registered office. The RCS registration number, intra-Community VAT number and contact details (email address and phone number) complete this information.
The name of the publication director is required in all cases. This is the individual responsible for the website’s editorial content.
Identifying the website’s hosting provider
Whether the publisher is an individual or a legal entity, the legal notices must include the hosting provider’s contact details: its company name or the provider’s first and last name, address and phone number. The hosting provider is the entity that stores the website’s files and makes them accessible online.
This requirement allows a third party (a judicial authority or an affected user) to contact the hosting provider to report unlawful content or request its removal. Omitting these details effectively blocks the chain of responsibility established by the LCEN.
Legal notices and personal data: two separate requirements
A common mistake is to combine legal notices and a privacy policy in a single block of text. These are two separate legal requirements.
Legal notices identify the publisher and hosting provider. A privacy policy, on the other hand, explains how the website collects, uses and stores visitors’ personal data: the legal basis for processing, its purposes, the retention period, and the rights of access, rectification and erasure.
Similarly, cookie consent does not belong on the legal notices page. The CNIL states that trackers not required for the website to function need the user’s consent, and that simply continuing to browse does not constitute valid consent. A functional consent banner and a dedicated cookies page are therefore separate measures in their own right.
E-commerce websites have a third layer of requirements: pre-contractual information. The French Consumer Code requires consumers to be given information about the price, delivery costs, right of withdrawal and mediation procedures before entering into a contract. This information does not replace or form part of the legal notices.
Penalties for failing to display legal notices on a website
Failing to display legal notices, or providing incomplete notices, can expose the publisher to criminal penalties. For individuals, the LCEN provides for a prison sentence of up to one year and a fine. For legal entities, the fine is multiplied.
Beyond the risk of judicial penalties, a website without compliant legal notices loses credibility with visitors and business partners. Failing to clearly identify the publisher is a red flag for any informed user.
Keeping legal notices compliant is not a one-off task. Any change to the legal structure, registered office, hosting provider or personal data processing requires an update to the page and every other place on the website where this information appears. Regular cross-checks between the legal notices page, footer, contact page and terms and conditions remain the most reliable way to maintain genuine transparency.
