French law Loppsi 2 adopted by the General Assembly

By EDRi · January 12, 2011

This article is also available in:
Deutsch: [Französische Nationalversammlung: Loppsi 2-Gesetz angenommen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2498]

The so-called Loppsi 2 law (loi d’orientation et de programmation pour la
performance de la sécurité intérieure – law on guidelines and programming
for the performance of internal security) was approved by the French General
Assembly in its second reading on 21 December 2010 with a large majority and
is now to go under debate in the Senate in the second reading, in a
toughened version.

The law which, among several measures covers a mix of security domains,
asks ISPs to block Internet sites deemed to have child pornographic content,
now includes a version that will no longer require a previous judicial
approval, which is actually against the French Constitution, and which may
lead to abuses.

The law also gives the police the power to install remote spyware on PCs,
although in this case, under judicial control. Yet, these types of
operations seems to have already been undertaken by DRCI (The Direction
Centrale du Renseignement Intérieur – Central Directorate of Interior
Intelligence) even before the implementation of the law.

The approved text also allows for generalised video surveillance in public
places. A very worrying and contested measure is that of giving authorities
the power to limit the use of public data only to people whose “morality”
has been previously verified.

While the draft law waits to enter into its second reading in the Senate, a
group of several French liberty groups, union federations, civil
associations as well as several political parties have called for a general
mobilisation in a protest movement all over the country on 15 January 2011.

“This law prepares a control society based on tension and stigmatisations.
It materialises the phantasm of the interior enemy and assimilates any
contesting act to an attack to the State. It will weaken the prevention and
judicial guarantees,” says the call to the manifestation.

The deputies adopt Loppsi law with a great majority (only in French,
21.12.2010)

À lire sur Numerama : Les députés adoptent la loi Loppsi à une très forte majorité

LOPPSI 2: they sell off freedoms! (only in French)
http://antiloppsi2.net/002-loppsi-2-ils-soldent-nos-libertes.html

Loppsi 2: Return to the contested items (only in French, 7.01.2011)
http://www.20minutes.fr/article/649278/societe-loppsi-2-retour-points-contestes

EDRigram : French law Loppsi 2 under debate again (15.12.2010)
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number8.24/loppsi-2-french-law