France’s government has passed a new bill allowing police to remotely activate the phone cameras, microphones, and geolocation of suspects without their knowledge on the heels of ongoing protests in the country.
Under the “justice reform bill,” the police will be able to monitor criminal suspects through the activation of the suspects’ phones, laptops, cars, and other connected electronics, French media Le Monde reported on July 6.
The bill also enables the police to record sound and capture images of people suspected of committing terrorism-related offenses, organized crime, and delinquency, according to the report.
The legislation will only apply to suspects in crimes carrying at least a five-year prison sentence, and French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti anticipated the new law to affect only “dozens of cases a year.”…