A section of a French justice bill is receiving criticism after it was learned a section of the bill permits law enforcement to remotely turn on the microphone and camera of a suspect’s device.
The section of the bill is designed to gather information on those thought to be linked to terrorism, delinquency, and organized crime.
Some have expressed concerns that the bill is “security overkill” and may expand into baby monitor footage and TVs.
While French senators have approved the bill, it will not be solidified until the National Assembly offers its approval.
Reporting from Reclaim the Net:
Legal eagles upset: The Paris Bar, a body representing lawyers, is in an uproar. They lament that the government left them out in the cold during the drafting process. “This new possibility of remotely activating any electronic device constitutes a particularly serious breach of respect for privacy which cannot be justified by the protection of the public order,” the Paris Bar asserted. They also ring alarm bells on the lack of clarity in protecting attorney-client communications, calling it an “inadmissible breach of professional secrecy and the rights of defense.”
