At the end of last year and some legal pussyfooting, the law against illegal downloading of multimedia files (dubbed “HADOPI”, see my December 8 post) was finally voted.
Now the French government is busy discussing a new law, dubbed “LOPPSI” (sorry, I couldn’t find a link in English). This is an all-encompassing security law, but it has some dispositions about the Internet that could be very dangerous:
In order to fight pedophiles, the law will allow the police to remotely monitor and control the computers of suspects, and/or stealthily install keyloggers and other spying programs on them (the computers, not the suspects). Fortunately some Representatives have insisted that a judge be involved in the process, but the discussion isn’t over yet. The words “Big Brother” have been used repeatedly.
The problem is, most criminals will easily detect and circumvent the spying, except the most inept ones – who would be caught by other means anyway. While no one wants to give pedophiles and other criminals (including possible terrorists) a free rein, we all know that these tools will be misused and abused by overzealous investigators, as well as extended to other perceived threats – it’s human nature.
The law may be introduced to the Assemblée Nationale’s (our equivalent of the House of Representatives) vote during the Summer months, when many French people are on vacation and tend to ignore serious news on TV and in the papers. Many unpopular laws have been passed this way to avoid public reactions. Wait and see…
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