Amid ongoing protests in France, the country just passed a bill that would allow police to remotely access suspects' cameras, microphones and GPS on cellphones and other devices.
Such as he says Le Monde, the bill has been criticized by the French people since it allows the police unhindered access to the location of the country's citizens.
In addition, police will be able to activate cameras and microphones to capture video and audio recordings of suspects.
The bill reportedly only applies to suspects in crimes punishable by at least five years in prison, and Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti claimed the new provision would affect "only a few dozen cases a year."
During yesterday's debate on the bill, French politicians added an amendment that would require the approval of judges for any surveillance carried out under the bill and limit the duration of surveillance to six months, according to Le Monde.
“For organized crime, the police will be able to access the audio and video of a device. This applies to any connected device: phone, speaker microphone, computer camera, a car's computer system... all without the knowledge of those concerned,” French advocacy group La Quadrature du Net said in a statement on Twitter last month.
Pour la organized crime, la police peut avoir accès au son et à l'image d'un appareil. This concerns all connected devices: telephone, microphone, computer camera, car computer system... all without the knowledge of the persons concerned.
— La Quadrature du Net (@laquadrature) June 28, 2023
"Given the increasing place of digital tools in our lives, accepting the principle that they are turning into police assistants without knowing it is a serious problem in our societies."
In 2021, France passed a bill that would expand the ability of French police to monitor citizens using drones – all in an effort to protect the officers by increasingly violent protesters, according to French President Emmanuel Macron.
