French lawmakers approve sweeping new surveillance powers

French lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a new law on Tuesday granting the state sweeping powers to spy on its citizens despite criticism from rights groups that the bill is vague and intrusive. The new law would entitle intelligence services to place cameras and recording devices in suspects’ homes and beacons on their cars without prior authorization from a judge. France is still on high alert as it has received repeated threats from extremist groups abroad and was reminded of the peril of homegrown extremism when police thwarted a planned attack on a church two weeks ago.

This bill is too vague, too far-reaching and leaves too many unanswered questions.

Amnesty International

Hundreds of its citizens — more than in any other European country — have left to join militant groups such as the Islamic State group (IS) in Iraq and Syria, and fears are high that they may return to carry out attacks on home soil. The bill was proposed long before the January Paris attacks by Islamic extremists to update a law left essentially untouched since 1991. But the government has said it has become more urgent with each person who has become radicalized.

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