Liberté, Liberté chérie-euhhh... bis repetita ad vitam Æternam

France's new model: China.

The self-proclaimed “Land of Human Rights” is quite possibly the European Union member state whose leaders have the most disdain for Internet users’ freedom.

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In many respects, French Internet policy looks disturbingly similar to the Chinese regime’s (synonymous, for any moderately informed person, with network repression). Among these, we should highlight two: the first is the long standing measure banning cryptographic systems. This technology, designed to ensure only the person to whom one is writing is able to gain access to the content, is prohibited both in China and in France; the second is more recent. The French government has plans, barely reported or known in Spain, to control cyber-café users.

(Hat tip: Janinka)