[P2P-F] Fwd: [opennetcoalition] A Move Towards Generalised Internet Surveillance in France?

Thu Dec 5 23:57:55 CET 2013

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: La Quadrature du Net <jz at laquadrature.net>
Date: Wed, Dec 4, 2013 at 10:11 AM
Subject: [opennetcoalition] A Move Towards Generalised Internet
Surveillance in France?
To: opennetcoalition at laquadrature.net

Themes: INTERNET SURVEILLANCE, FRENCH DEFENSE BILL

La Quadrature du Net – For immediate release

Permanent link:
https://www.laquadrature.net/en/a-move-towards-generalised-internet-surveillance-in-france

A Move Towards Generalised Internet Surveillance in France?

*** Paris, 3 December 2013 — Yesterday the 2014-2019 defense bill [1]
passed first reading in the French National Assembly. It marks a strong
shift towards total online surveillance. If passed, the bill will not only
allow live monitoring of everyone's personal and private data but also do
so without judicial oversight, as the surveillance will be enabled through
administrative request. The bill also turns permanent measures that were
only temporary. ***

How is it possible that after only a few months of Edward Snowden's
revelations [2] the French government proposes a bill so detrimental to our
fundamental rights? Article 13 of the bill organises the generalisation of
live surveillance of "information and documents processed and stored in the
networks", which potentially concerns the data of all citizens. Such
surveillance requests can be issued by a wide variety of departments,
including the departments of Internal Security and Defense, but also the
department of Economy and Finance. The inclusion of such departments
exceeds what is required to meet the stated aim of protecting the citizen
against incidents of an exceptional seriousness. Indeed, the proposed bill
permits these departments to authorise live surveillance of all citizens
with the sole stated aim to “prevent […] crime” or the particularly vague
“safeguard of essential components of scientific and economic potential of
France”.

Data collection will not only be done directly via companies providing
Internet access (ISPs and telecommunication operators) but also via web
hosting operators and online service providers. Despite the gravity and
magnitude of this collection, no measure significantly limits their volume.
The data collection could be done by installing devices that capture
signals and data directly at the operators and hosting companies. The
definition of these operators and companies, taken from 2004 Loi pour la
confiance dans l'économie numérique [3] (“Act for Trust in the Digital
Economy”), cause concerns that the scope of application will be very wide.

“Considering the recently uncovered evidence of massive and generalised
spying on citizens, the maneuvers of the President and of the government
deceive no one. This bill sets up a generalised surveillance regime and
risks to destroy once and for all the limited trust between citizens and
agencies responsible for security. A vague reference to the needs of the
security agencies does not justify such serious infringements to our basic
liberty. La Quadrature du Net calls on parliamentarians to reject this
infringement to basic rights during the second reading of the text”
concludes Philippe Aigrain, cofounder of La Quadrature du Net.

* References *

1.
http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/14/dossiers/loi_programmation_militaire_2014-2019.asp

2.
https://www.laquadrature.net/en/snowden-and-the-future-of-our-communication-architecture

3.
http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000801164&dateTexte=&categorieLien=id

** About La Quadrature du Net **

La Quadrature du Net is an advocacy group that defends the rights and
freedoms of citizens on the Internet. More specifically, it advocates for
the adaptation of French and European legislations to respect the founding
principles of the Internet, most notably the free circulation of knowledge.

In addition to its advocacy work, the group also aims to foster a better
understanding of legislative processes among citizens. Through specific and
pertinent information and tools, La Quadrature du Net hopes to encourage
citizens' participation in the public debate on rights and freedoms in the
digital age.

La Quadrature du Net is supported by French, European and international
NGOs including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Open Society
Institute and Privacy International.

List of supporting organisations:
https://www.laquadrature.net/en/they-support-la-quadrature-du-net

** Press contact and press room **

Jérémie Zimmermann, jz at laquadrature.net, +33 (0)615 940 675

http://www.laquadrature.net/en/press-room

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