#Opcyberprivacy France Bill Info

#OpCyberPrivacy - France

On June 24th of 2015, an information gathering and cyber surveillance law was approved at France. It was brought to Anonymous' concern the following significant points:

What might concern French population:
 Every surveillance request must be analyzed and approved by the following parliamentarian, if there's no national security emergency as cited on article 811-2, on the provided order:
  - The prime-minister;
  - The minister of defense;
  - The interior minister or;
  - The ministers responsible for the:
    - Economy;
    - Budget;
    - Customs.

 What is majorly concerning is what the government defines as national security. The following pretexts may, and will not, be informed to the previously cited people if the mission involves (Art. 811-3):
  - National independence, territorial integrity and national defense;
  - The major interests in foreign policy, enforcement of European and international commitments of France and prevention of all forms of foreign interference;
  - The economic interests, major industrial and scientific of France;
  - The prevention of:
    - attacks on the republican form of the institutions;
    - actions designed to maintain or reconstitute groups;
    - collective violence likely to cause serious harm to the public peace;
    - terrorism;
    - crime and organized crime;
    - proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

  Both highlighted points indicate that if the government believe you have anything to do with terrorism or organized crime, it will be lawfully allowed to gather information and monitor every virtual or physical step you take on your life, without previous approval. If terrorism wasn't such a generic understanding, as well as organized crime, there wouldn't be a significant problem, however, as we've verified in the past, ddosing, virtual and physical protest, and many other legal ways of exposing your viewpoints, have been categorized as crime or terror acts. This by itself should have been enough to diminish this bill, however senate and congressman approved it, given the fact that this will, not only allow them to watch over french population, but also will defend them of facing any criminal charge if they do so.

 What if this person is a journalist? Does the government has the right to monitor him?
 This bill has a section that not only includes journalists, but also parliamentarians, magistrates and lawyers. These people may not be investigated UNLESS there are STRONG BELIEFS that they're under orders of a foreign power or are part of a terrorist group or criminal organization. What means they CAN be investigated if the government pictures them as criminals or terrorists and also if they receive money from foreign powers (yes, any country) which would make them eligible for being surveilled.

 Well, my information is encrypted, so I've got nothing to worry about.
 Cryptography is indeed our friend. Encrypt everything you have, always, at any device. This will cost the government thousands to decrypt or gather metadata or find out what that information is about. The government knows the benefits of encryption and they don't like it. French bill also covers encryption:
  - Every gathered encrypted information must be destroyed ONLY after 6 years (always use strong cryptography);
  - The allowed periods after its decryption may vary from 30 days to 4 years, depending on how it was gathered, what means, as soon as the government is able to decrypt your information it can be stored for 4 years, if they see fit;
  - The information, encrypted or decrypted, regarding cyber attacks may and will be stored for undefined time (given the fact that DDoS is a form of attack on governmental eyes, this regards any DDoS attack). This will give them time to decrypt and use that information against us all on the future.

 The information might be gathered from vehicles, facilities, image capture and computers as follows: "From the sound of certain premises and vehicles and the image capture and computer data" (mhm, you read it right, not even your car is safe from government)
 The following technical means of information gathering are now also legalized on the French legislation:
    - On the access computer data stored in a computer system, save them, keep them and pass them (no surprise here);
    - To have access to computer data, save them, keep them and pass them as they are displayed on a screen for the user to an automated data processing system, such as he introduced it by entering characters or as they are received and transmitted by audiovisual devices (anything you hear, read or use any of your four senses, can now be stored).

International concern

 One might say: "Well, I'm not French, this doesn't concern me."
 Premise is already wrong. On a higher ground, you're a human being and that alone should make you fight for others freedom! But if you're still not convinced of the fact that this will affect your life, read the following part of the bill:
   - The prime-minister or French delegates, may authorize, if on the interests of protecting the nation, surveillance of international inbound or outbound communications.

 This means anything that passes through a French server or router might and will be surveilled if the French government see fit.

---------- How can you help? ----------

   -Spreading the word through social media is a quick and effective way to expand awareness. You can also pass out one of the many flyers we have and discuss the bill with people you meet. Word of mouth is the most natural way to create a buzz.

   -Find a rally that protests against this bill. If you can't find one - organize one. Rallies bring larger scale exposure.

   -Call and write to your local congressman expressing your objection to enhanced cyber security laws and encourage others to do the same.

This bill do not help cyber security, they do only hurt cyber privacy.

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Flyer: https://i.imgur.com/vzJfppM.jpg