French police given powers to eavesdrop on citizens
In an unprecedented assault on civil liberties in France, lawmakers have agreed that the country's police forces need to be allowed to spy on suspects by remotely activating the camera, microphone and GPS of their phones and other devices.
The measure approved by lawmakers covers laptops, cars and other connected objects as well as phones.
The devices can be remotely activated to record sound and images of people allegedly suspected of terror offenses, as well as delinquency and organized crime.
Rights activists have slammed the measure as "an authoritarian snooper's charter". The digital rights group, La Quadrature du Net, has slammed the provision saying it raises serious concerns over infringements of fundamental civil liberties.
La Quadrature du Net has decried the proposal as part of a "slide into heavy-handed security".
In early June, the French Senate, the upper house, approved a controversial provision to a justice bill that allowed law enforcement to eavesdrop on suspected terrorists and criminals using their devices
The message from the top has generally been one to support the police and to reinforce their powers.
And it had to be borne in mind that the police have faced some significant challenges, especially in the previous decade where [sic] France was subjected to a series of terrorist attacks and there was a fear that the police didn't have strong enough powers to contain them, so, some of those powers were reinforced.
Rainbow Murray, Professor of Politics, Queen Mary University of London
Moreover, Senators approved a provision in the bill allowing law enforcement to track device location if the owner is suspected of having committed a crime.
The measures come amid unprecedented protests across France over the killing of a 17-year-old boy of Algerian origin by police in late June.
The killing of Nahel M. renewed old grievances regarding police brutality and racial profiling.
It is estimated that some 3400 to 4000 people were arrested, which included more than 1200 minors. Most of those detained had no prior criminal convictions.
Meanwhile, there are concerns about restrictions on social media in France.
Jean-Noël Barrot, the French Minister for Digital Transition and Telecommunications, has announced that from August 25, Paris will introduce mandatory measures censoring the work of social networks in the country.
According to Barrot President Macron had urged him to "put maximum pressure on social networks".
Macron has also proposed the creation of a working group by the Senate to address measures to be taken in the event of mass protests and riots.
Earlier Macron claimed that protesters were using Snapchat, Tik Tok, and, telegram, to film violent events and to organize illegal gatherings.
Social media platforms play a significant role in the events of the past few days.
We have (seen) on several of them, Snapchat, Tik Tok, and several others, both the organization of violent gatherings and a form of mimicking of violence, which among the youngest leads to a feeling of unreality, it sometimes feels like some of them are experiencing in the streets in the video games that have intoxicated them.
And this, the law, including over the past few months, has set out changes to parent control that we want to be fully respected.
Emanuel Macron, President of France
Macron has also discussed the possibility of banning access to certain social media features.
The French President has told about 300 local leaders that the country needs to reflect on social media use among the youngest, and on the prohibitions that must be put in place.
His comments drew the ire of many critics.
These incidents just keep on happening, but this time it was captured on video and that's why people are fuming.
Macron goes to his Elton John concert, and then he blames video games for the protests, Video games!
Maybe his police officers play too many video games and that's why they pulled out their guns on a 17 year old without a driver's license. And one of them said "I'm gonna put a bullet in your head".
Macron now wants to ban "sensitive content" on social media because it's embarrassing for him.
But dare Iran ban Twitter or Egypt cut off the internet, then Macron and the West will spring into their usual chorus of "that's censorship" and that's a dictatorship". "No freedom of speech".
Richard Medhurst, Journalist
The French government has been accused of conducting attacks on migrants, racial profiling, and, religious intolerance.
This most recent incident has tapped into the long-festering resentment of police brutality among many French minorities and rekindled a long and painful debate on racial profiling by the police.
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