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French Parliament adopts law boosting surveillance powers

Controversial law will broaden eavesdropping of terror suspects despite protests from human rights groups about impact on civil liberties.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

The French Parliament has adopted a controversial surveillance law aimed at broadening eavesdropping of terrorism suspects, despite protests from privacy advocates and concern about U.S.-style massive data sweeps, reports the St Louis Post Dispatch.

Wednesday's vote in the National Assembly, months in the making, came as French officialdom was decrying revelations less than a day earlier that the U.S. National Security Agency eavesdropped on three French presidents and senior officials.

The law won't take effect until a court rules on whether it abides by France's constitution.

Read more of this Associated Press report published by the St Louis Post Dispatch.

See Mediapart's reports on the surveillance law here and here.