[WallStreetJournal] French Government Plans to Extend Internet Censorship

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A draft executive order would give various French government agencies the power to take down or block Internet content they deem harmful. Critics see a vast censorship scheme that would allow for “arbitrary” take-downs.

As PC Inpact (in French), which broke the story, has pointed out, however, the definition of “electronic commerce” provided in the LCEN is “misleading.” […] PC Inpact and digital rights organization La Quadrature du Net have therefore argued that the bill puts “the entire Internet” under government censorship.

Based on the aforementioned provisions of the 2004 law […], the draft executive order that spurred the current controversy defines possible measures as well as the government agencies that would be able to impose them.

http://online.wsj.com/community/groups/censorship-america-1369/topics/french-government-plans-extend-internet