The lower house of the French Parliament has overwhelmingly approved surveillance measures “that could give the authorities their most intrusive domestic spying abilities ever, with almost no judicial oversight,” The New York Times reports. The bill now moves to the upper chamber, where it is also expected to pass. Prime Minister Manuel Valls said, “The last intelligence law was done in 1991, when there were neither cell phones nor Internet.” The bill allows intelligence authorities access to cell phones and email; mandates service providers let government review virtually all subscriber data, and lets intelligence services carry out bulk collection and analysis of metadata. Paris Bar Association’s Pierre-Olivier Sur said it is “a sort of PATRIOT Act concerning the activities of each and every one.” (Registration may be required to access this story.)
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