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France passes bill to allow police remotely activate phone camera, microphone, spy on people (gazettengr.com)

submitted 2 years ago by CrimsonOnoscopy to c/news

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[–] bbbhltz 22 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Looks like there are caveats to this law:

You would need to be a suspect in a crime that has a punishment of 5 or more years in prison in order for the phone to be geolocated.

For video/audio you need to fall under the definition of organised crime or terrorism.

BUT... If you are an environmental activist, someone might consider you a type of terrorist. So, this is pretty big news. Plus, there are loads of crimes that have 5 year sentences.

French sauce: https://www.lcp.fr/actualites/justice-l-assemblee-autorise-l-activation-a-distance-des-telephones-portables-pour

[–] CrimsonOnoscopy 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The English language article includes the wording delinquency. You'd say this is a false description, based on the French article?

[–] bbbhltz 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

The quote in the French article uses the term les grands délinquants. And in French it is just a synonym of criminal or someone who repeatedly breaks the law. So, not a false description.

In France there are plenty of offences that can net you a maximum 5 year term, so this law will not go unused.

And for those not in the know, France is civil law, not common law: the whole jury thing with lawyers making statements isn't a thing here. Meaning that a judge's interpretation of the law determines punishment.

[–] CrimsonOnoscopy 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

So what this probably means in practice is that this power is assured to be abused to target activists and civil disobedience.

As is tradition, whenever a repression institution is created, it'll be used almost exclusively on the left with a few token Nazis thrown in if they get a little too terroristic for the current tastes of the powers that be.

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[–] CrimsonOnoscopy 17 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

France has been following Britain and other countries in a disturbing and increasingly authoritarian direction.

the bill allows the geolocation of crime suspects, covering other devices like laptops, cars and connected devices, just as it could be remotely activated to record sound and images of people suspected of terror offences, as well as delinquency and organised crime.

delinquency

Perhaps the time is due to revisit some of the lessons of history.

[–] dinodrinkstea 11 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Fucking pigs playing persecuters. ACAB

[–] CrimsonOnoscopy 7 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

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[–] Nsh@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 years ago

Another french sauce : https://www.leparisien.fr/high-tech/loi-justice-lactivation-des-telephones-a-distance-approuvee-par-lassemblee-nationale-05-07-2023-SY5B2JW7H5FYRAD2RVMNZ3KMSQ.php