[NewsPoster]

The French government wants to fine tech companies that do not provide law enforcement agencies access to encrypted data, as part of terrorism investigations. An amendment to a bill relating to the fight against terrorism and organized crime has been approved by politicians, adding in the threat of financial penalties and jail time for companies failing to assist police in bypassing encryption, though a second version that included tougher penalties was voted down.

According to The Guardian, the amendment was drawn by rightwing opposition politicians, mandating fines of up to €350,000 ($385,000) and up to five years in jail for private companies who do not comply, while telecommunications companies face the prospect of lower fines and up to two years of imprisonment. The other failed amendment increased the fines to €1 million, and also included potential sales bans for devices from the disobedient company and other penalties.

The bill the amendment is part of is not yet a law, as it will still need to be voted upon by the National Assembly on March 8, and debated in the Senate later on this month. Following attacks in January and November last year, the country is still operating under a state of emergency, with the bill expected to reform existing anti-terrorism legislation before the state ends sometime in May.

[prl99]

Insanity prevails. Apple has a choice in this one, just pull out of France. Even Amazon will have to get rid of all encrypted communications which we all know won't stop terrorists from using another encryption application that's outside the control of France and other companies. If a bill passes in the US I'd like to see an amendment to the constitution that forces every branch of the government to open all their systems so taxpayers can see all the secrets. They want ours let's see theirs.

[Stuke]

Agreed...Apple, and all other tech companies, would pull out of France, basically sending their technology base back to 1982. Yep, this bill will help.

[JackWebb]

The french so-called right seems a bit different than the conservatives in the U.S who are split on this issue. There's still a reason the French and American revolutions were very different. At least in the U.S. the right has a non-authoritarian non-statist constituency that opposes such government power. I'm going to encrypt my data so no one but me can access it if I have to write the encryption myself! And that really makes the point--there's always going to be encryption the government can't get but only certain determined people will have it if such policies are enacted.

[Wingsy]

I can see the day where Apple produces two versions of iOS, one for us (secure) and one for the French and others who succumb to the intrusions of their governments.

[DiabloConQueso]

"...and up to five years in jail for private companies who do not comply..."

Five years in jail for who? The CEO? The CTO? The President? The board? All of them? Some of them?

Maybe the company itself? Build a big jail wall around the headquarters, then tear it down in 5 years?

Ridiculous.

[Inkling]

What would it take for Apple to cater to their demands. Let's see. First, if France were a one-party dictatorship that brutally represses dissent, Apple would be eager to cooperate. That's already its policy with China, whom Apple is apparently going to allow to study its source code. Second, France could certainly improve its chances of getting Apple's obedience if it chopped of the heads of homosexuals, as do some Arab countries that Apple is eager to please. // \\ But poor France is a multi-party democracy that respects human rights. There isn't a bat's chance in hell Apple will cooperate with it. It's not bad enough. If it were, Apple would be falling over itself to please them. At Apple, gross inconsistency about human rights is a matter of principle. The worse a country is, the more Apple panders.