Victory for Digital Privacy: French Surveillance Law Amendment Rejected

The Threat to Encryption Has Been Averted — For Now

In a major victory for digital rights, the French National Assembly has recently removed the controversial backdoor provision from the “Narcotrafic” law amendment that would have severely compromised encrypted communications for everyone The French National Assembly removed the backdoor section from the amendment to the Narcotrafic law. This development marks a significant win for privacy advocates, security experts, and technology companies who had been raising alarms about this dangerous legislation.

What Was at Stake?

The originally proposed amendment to France’s “Narcotrafic” law would have:

Required tech companies to hand over decrypted chat messages of suspected criminals within 72 hours
Imposed substantial fines for non-compliance: €1.5 million for individuals and up to 2% of annual global turnover for companies
Forced encrypted communication providers to create backdoors by giving authorities the ability to access private communications

Why This Amendment Was Dangerous

The fundamental issue with the proposed law was that it ignored a basic security principle: A backdoor for the good guys only is not possible. Once encryption is compromised for one purpose, it becomes vulnerable to all potential attackers.

Security experts and privacy advocates consistently warned that:

All users would be at risk – Backdoors created for law enforcement would inevitably become entry points for cybercriminals and hostile foreign actors
Legal conflicts would arise – The proposal conflicted with European data protection legislation (GDPR) and IT security laws in other countries
Trust would be destroyed – Companies like Signal had threatened to pull out of France rather than compromise their security

The Broader Context of Surveillance in France

This amendment was part of a concerning pattern of expanding surveillance powers in France. The broader “Narcotrafic” law still contains other problematic elements, including:

The “safe file” provision that keeps surveillance techniques secret, undermining the right to self-defense
Authorization for police to remotely activate microphones and cameras on connected devices
Expanded use of “black boxes” for analyzing internet communications data
Extended internet censorship powers related to content about drug use and sales

Why Unshakled Opposed This Legislation

At Unshakled, we believe secure encryption is a fundamental right in the digital age. End-to-end encryption protects:

Journalists working in hostile environments
At-risk individuals communicating with support services
Business confidentiality and intellectual property
Personal privacy and freedom from mass surveillance

While we recognize the legitimate concerns of law enforcement in fighting crime, compromising security for everyone is never the answer. There are effective ways to combat crime without weakening the digital infrastructure we all rely on.

What Happens Next?

While this is a great win for privacy, the battle is not over. Governments worldwide continue to propose similar legislation that would undermine encryption and expand surveillance powers. Unshakled remains committed to:

Monitoring developments in this and similar legislation
Supporting organizations that defend encryption and digital rights
Educating the public about the importance of secure communications
Advocating for privacy-respecting approaches to law enforcement

How You Can Help

Stay informed about digital rights issues
Support organizations fighting for secure encryption
Contact your elected representatives when similar legislation is proposed
Use and promote secure, end-to-end encrypted communication tools

The rejection of this amendment demonstrates that public awareness and advocacy can make a difference. Together, we can continue to defend our digital freedoms.

This blog post was published by Unshakled Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to defending digital freedom through secure technologies, education, and advocacy.