Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens

In a significant blow to individual privacy, France has passed controversial legislation granting law enforcement the power to covertly activate digital devices, including phone cameras, microphones, and GPS, for the purpose of surveillance. This decision, reminiscent of tactics employed by Russia's KGB, raises grave concerns about potential infringements on democratic values such as freedom, human rights, and democracy.

The authority to remotely activate these devices forms part of a broader "justice reform bill" passed on Wednesday night. The legislation permits law enforcement to geolocate crime suspects and potentially access a wide range of devices, including laptops, cars, and connected devices. These can be remotely activated to record sound and images of people suspected of terror offences, delinquency, and organised crime.

French digital rights advocacy group, La Quadrature du Net, has voiced grave concerns over the provisions, suggesting they "raise serious concerns over infringements of fundamental liberties," and violate citizens' "right to security, right to a private life, private correspondence," and "the right to come and go freely."

Describing the decision as a "slide into heavy-handed security," the group has warned about potential misuses of this far-reaching power.

Defending the legislation, Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti insisted that the provisions would be applied sparingly, anticipating only "dozens of cases a year." Further, amendments have been included in the bill to ensure that remote spying is justified by the nature and severity of the crime and is applied for a "strictly proportional duration." A judge's approval is required before any such surveillance can be carried out.

The law also stipulates exemptions for sensitive professions, such as journalists, judges, lawyers, doctors, and MPs, who have been designated as illegitimate targets.

The passage of this justice reform bill, which greenlights covert surveillance tactics, follows a surge in surveillance powers in France since 2015's terror attacks. This latest bill, known as the "Keeper of the Seal" bill, has been compared to the US Patriot Act, infamous for its expansion of government surveillance powers in the wake of 9/11.

In defense of the law, Dupond-Moretti argued, "We're far away from the totalitarianism of ''1984'," suggesting that "People's lives will be saved" by this legislation.

Interestingly, the French law mirrors tactics used by the US FBI post 9/11, such as the use of "roving bugs" to pick up room audio, providing law enforcement with the flexibility to continuously eavesdrop on suspects who often change locations and use different phones to avoid detection. However, these US tactics, like the French law, have been subject to controversy and legal challenges.

In the face of this contentious move by France, international onlookers and privacy advocates can only ponder the potential ramifications and the balance between national security and individual privacy. Is this the new norm or a step too far into dystopia? Only time will tell.