The French government is set to consider a series of recommendations for monitoring online activity in the country following the terrorist attacks in Paris last month that could see the use of Tor banned and free Wi-Fi networks restricted during a state of emergency.
The proposals, one concerning counter-terrorism and other on the national state of emergency protections, will now be considered before the laws are drafted, which according to French newspaper Le Monde, could be as early as January.
It was in part created by the US government as part of a project for the US Navy, which still helps fund its ongoing development, due to the fact that some of its operations rely on the network, and is also popular with journalists and whistleblowers, most famously Edward Snowden.
However, the network has also been widely used for criminal purposes, such as operating contraband websites in the past, and it is increasingly being used by attackers to hide their identities as they scan for vulnerabilities or carry out attacks.
There is no concrete information on how the French government would actually block the Tor network, as it may need to involved Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to help detect whenever a customer is visiting a site using it.
However Le Monde suggests that the French authorities would like to introduce legislative measures blocking Tor, as well as technological barriers that would prevent people inside the country accessing it, much like the current situation in China.
As for restrictions on free Wi-Fi, Le Monde reported that French police wish to “Forbid free and shared Wi-Fi connections” during a state of emergency. This follows the opinions of police forces that using public Wi-Fi networks makes people harder to track in cases of emergency.
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Think that's called surrendering to terrorism! Its hardly going to deter the dedicated terrorist.
Surrendering...French...sounds about right, sadly. This is all part of the plan...
So in other words. TERRORIST WINS!! Countries should not go the way China handles the Internet. It seems to me that countries are more and more afraid that the people are getting globally United and try to keep the people boxed in a old way of thinking called "country ". Wake up people by using terrorism they rob you of you freedom!
Good to know we have another person who is awake and aware of what's going on...
this is nothing what so ever to do with terrorism, they are using it as an excuse. far too many people are waking up to what governments and nations are doing on a global scale and those in power are now trying to stop this to protect their power and money. a world wide revolution is getting closer each day an dont those in power know and fear it.
Disgusting censorship by the French govt if this really is true....
WOOT more fuckwits in power that don't understand technology..
Unfortunately the comments here are those that reflect a few, awakened people. It seems most people are completely oblivious to what's going on...
Using terrorism to restrict more freedoms... how convenient. Now what if it transpired that the 'terrorist' act itself was designed and perpetrated (or at least allowed to go ahead) by the authorities for exactly this purpose? A disturbing road this is...