French agree to new surveillance law

France’s Constitutional Council has approved a new law giving the secret services more powers. Two controversial articles were deleted, but the law continues to provide far-reaching powers.

The Constitutional Council, which can review legislation against the French constitution, considered the legislation at the request of French President Hollande, among other things, and largely agrees with it, Reuters reports. The French parliament had already agreed; chances are the president will soon sign the law, taking it into effect.

The new law allows the government, among other things, to place backdoors with internet providers. ISPs are also required to report suspicious behavior by tracking metadata. The secret service is allowed to place so-called imsi-catchers, set up fake mobile networks, and tap all conversations and internet data in a certain area. Microphones and cameras may also be secretly placed to monitor people and keyloggers may be installed on computers.

Two articles were deleted by the Constitutional Council. An article that allows the secret service to carry out “emergency” operations without prior approval was rejected. An article about surveillance abroad also failed.

According to France, the law is necessary because the existing spying legislation dates back to the early 1990s, before the internet and mobile phones were commonplace. The French government was already working on the law before the attack on the office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in January, which killed 12 people. Civil rights activists say the new legislation goes too far and turns France into a surveillance state.