Proposed legislation in France would block public WIFI and use of TOR

There is apparently no limit to France's hatred of the internet

[IanKelley]

After the recent Paris terror attacks, the French government is proposing to forbid and block the use of the Tor anonymity network, according to an internal document from the Ministry of Interior seen by French newspaper Le Monde

the French government is considering to “Forbid free and shared wi-fi connections” during a state of emergency.

Article [motherboard.vice.com]

I've been amazed by France's backward tech laws for years now. Just when you think they can't get any more divorced from reality, they find a way. In this case these are just proposed laws, but with their track record they could easily become reality.

[3zero]

Forbid free and shared wi-fi connections

If you read between the lines here they are saying they are already monitoring your ISP, just gets tricky with a shared wifi. As for Tor I reckon that's been broken for years.

[lucy24]

Somewhere in the US, someone in a decision-making position is exclaiming "Oh! What a good idea!"

[3zero]

Somewhere in the US, someone in a decision-making position is exclaiming "Oh! What a good idea!"

I don't think so US have other arrangements that work OK

[IanKelley]

In order to even try to block TOR you'd need something like China's firewall. And China hasn't been very successful at blocking TOR.

I can't even think of a way you could enforce shutting down wifi.

[graeme_p]

Political logic

The terrorists who bombed Paris did not use encryption, so the attacks are a reason to ban encryption.

They paid for everything with credit cards, so the attacks are a reason to ban bitcooin

They did not use Tor, so the attacks are a reason to ban Tor.

I have no idea whether they were using public wi-fi or not, but it is irrelevant. The point of this mass surveillance, not surveillance of people who take any special precautions.

In order to even try to block TOR you'd need something like China's firewall. And China hasn't been very successful at blocking TOR.

If you made using it a crime you could go to jail for (like not having over passwords to the police in the UK) most people would stop using it. Terrorists would not stop using it (if they were using it in the first place), but that only shows that they are not the real targets of this legislation.

[IanKelley]

Sad truths. You can get away with a lot when you have fear as a backdrop.

That said in this particular case it's especially bad. I was hoping someone would come up with a rational argument in support of the proposal because I honestly can't think of one. Even one that just sounds vaguely rational escapes me.

[piatkow]

Sadly it is a logical extension of the multitude of rules that we now have about providing ID before entering into any sort of transaction.

[birdbrain]

"Every nation gets the government it deserves".

Joseph de Maistre

"If people vote for self-centred reasons, they will get a closed government for the few.
If instead they vote for the collective good of the country they are more likely to get
a 'government of the people, by the people, for the people'".

Abraham Lincoln.

birdbrain