Since the closure of coco.gg by court decision in June 2024, the landscape of anonymous French-speaking chat rooms has reshaped itself in an environment of increased surveillance. Bounty Chat quickly positioned itself as the successor, attracting some of the former users. French authorities have tightened their requirements for discussion platforms, particularly regarding cooperation with law enforcement and the retention of technical data.
The question now is no longer simply “where to chat for free,” but rather: on what type of platform does an exchange remain truly protected, both for privacy and against predatory behavior?
Data retention and legal compliance: what distinguishes a reliable chat from a dubious clone
Lists of “sites like Coco” circulating online rarely share a crucial criterion: the policy on the retention of technical logs. IP addresses, connection metadata, timestamps – these elements are at the heart of the French legal framework applicable to hosts and communication service providers.
A chat that retains technical logs within a clear legal framework is not a threat to the user. On the contrary, it is an indicator of compliance with legal obligations, as this retention allows investigators to intervene in case of a report. Therefore, looking for an alternative to coco.gg and Bounty Chat means checking this point before signing up or starting a conversation.
In contrast, a platform that claims “total absence of traces” without specifying its legal framework is a warning sign. This opacity can mean two things: either the service is hosted outside any cooperative jurisdiction, or it has no mechanism to respond to judicial requisitions. In both cases, good-faith users find themselves exposed without recourse if a problem arises.
Anonymous chat and real security: the criteria that comparisons overlook
The majority of comparisons between chat platforms stop at visible features: thematic rooms, filters by age or city, optional webcam. These elements matter for user experience, but they say nothing about the actual level of protection.
Three criteria deserve special attention when evaluating an anonymous discussion service:
- Minimal identity verification at registration – even if slight (valid email address, advanced captcha), it significantly reduces the creation of disposable accounts used for harassment or scams.
- The presence of an active and reachable moderation team, not just an automated reporting system that categorizes tickets without human follow-up.
- Transparency about the location of data hosting and the applicable jurisdiction, information often missing from the “About” pages of Coco clones.
A chat can be free and anonymous while meeting these requirements. User anonymity and technical traceability by the host are not contradictory. The pseudonym protects privacy in public exchanges, while metadata allows authorities to act in case of a serious offense.
Bounty Chat under Arcom surveillance: what this means for users
Bounty Chat has presented itself as the natural successor to coco.gg, adopting the principle of chat rooms without mandatory registration. The site quickly attracted the attention of Radio France and several media outlets, which reported on Arcom’s concerns regarding the platform’s compliance.
The fact that a regulator like Arcom is interested in a chat service is not trivial. This authority has had expanded powers since the SREN law to block or restrict access to sites that do not comply with their obligations, particularly regarding the protection of minors. A platform under Arcom’s radar can see its access restricted from France without extended notice.
For a regular user, this raises a practical question: investing time and habits in a service whose legal sustainability in France remains uncertain is not without risk. The available data does not allow for conclusions about the outcome of ongoing investigations, but the precedent of coco.gg, whose closure was abrupt, encourages caution.
Ma Sécurité App: an unknown chat for online emergency situations
A tool rarely mentioned in discussions about alternatives to anonymous chats is the Ma Sécurité application from the Ministry of the Interior. Available since 2024, it offers real-time chat with police officers or gendarmes, accessible 24 hours a day.
This service operates anonymously and leaves no trace in the phone’s history. It is available in over 130 languages, making it accessible to a very broad audience. Its primary use concerns individuals who are victims of coercion, harassment, or extortion related to online exchanges.
Ma Sécurité obviously does not replace a social chat. No one goes there to discuss their interests or meet new people. However, for anyone who has experienced a problematic situation on Bounty Chat, on a Coco clone, or on any other discussion platform, this chat provides a direct and secure recourse to law enforcement. Knowing of its existence before needing it changes the game.
The landscape of anonymous French-speaking chats remains fragmented and unstable. Platforms emerge, attract users, and then disappear under judicial or regulatory pressure.
In this context, the most protective reflex is not to seek the clone most faithful to the old Coco, but to prioritize services that clearly display their legal obligations, moderation policies, and data retention framework. This is less appealing than a “100% free and trace-free” chat, but it is the only approach that holds up over time.