France’s plan to modernize its prisons with Samsung tablets has backfired spectacularly. The government has now scrapped the €120 million “Digital in Detention” program after inmates figured out how to hack the devices—turning them into entertainment hubs for streaming, gaming, and social media bragging.
Originally intended to help prisoners manage emails, legal appointments, and finances from their cells, the tablets instead became a black-market commodity. Some inmates even charged others €50 for tutorials on how to bypass security restrictions. Videos surfaced on TikTok, where prisoners openly mocked authorities for handing them the tools to access the internet freely.
In response to the public outcry, the French Ministry of Justice has frozen the remaining €65 million allocated for the project. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has also called for an audit, with findings expected within two weeks.
Prisons have long struggled with contraband phones, but this debacle saw correctional staff themselves installing the devices. One inmate explained how simple it was to remove the tablets from the walls and unlock them: “Just press the power and volume buttons together, and voilà.”
What was meant to ease administrative burdens has instead turned into an embarrassing security disaster—one that France’s government is now scrambling to contain.
