To prevent further acts of terrorism against France, French officials allegedly planned on implementing new laws to monitor and limit public internet access.
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| Source: http://bit.ly/1Js2KL6 |
Following the many attacks against France in the past year, there were rumors of a bill being drafted by the French government that would limit Internet access in order to more easily track terrorists. However, Manuel Valls, the French prime minister, confirms that France will not be banning public Wi-Fi or Tor in spite of France being under duress.
The French prime minister states at an interview with BFM TV that officials are allegedly seeking new ways to extend their online surveillance without having to ban public Wi-Fi. Valls comments “the Internet is a freedom and a remarkable means of communication between people [and] it’s a plus for the economy”. According to the iPass Wi-Fi Growth Map, there has been an 82% Wi-Fi growth in France from 2013 to 2015. With an aggregate total of approximately 18,480 commercial and community hotspots throughout France, approximately 43,900 of these hotspots are cafes, 13,600 are retail shops, 17,460 are hotels, to name a few.
Although Valls did not comment on what measures French officials would implement to monitor Internet use within France, it seems that despite France state of emergency its law will not be changing drastically, and while public Wi-Fi may be closely monitored to prevent further acts of terrorism against France, it will be not be fully restricted.
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