Two weeks after the terrorist attacks in Paris, France is pushing for greater authority at removing terrorism-related content from the Internet, according to a report.
The Wall Street Journal reports that France wants to join forces with Germany as part of the directive.
"It is at the European level that we will be able to convince a certain number of Internet companies of the need to move more quickly with us," French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Monday, reports the Journal.
Cazeneuve will meet with German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière about the measure on Tuesday, according to the report.
Cazeneuve would like European governments to work closer with tech firms based in the United States. That way, officials in Europe could more easily gather intelligence on terror suspects and attacks and also slow down — or stop — the spread of terror-related content on social media networks.
The Paris attacks,
coupled with the recent arrests of suspected terrorists throughout Europe, have sparked new fears on the European continent. Governments are now scrambling to protect their homelands.
In Great Britain, for example, Prime Minister
David Cameron recently called for increased surveillance practices.
Opponents of tighter privacy restrictions are concerned with the increased surveillance practices and the invasion of Internet privacy.
"Recent legislative additions — some not yet in effect — give France one of the biggest legal arsenals in the world," ASIC, a European tech firms association, told the Journal. "Any new law or measure should respect all freedoms, both public and personal."
The Journal reports that La Quadrature du Net, a free speech group, said last week the tighter restrictions are "another restriction of freedom of expression and the rule of law. What a bad tribute to pay to those who gave their lives for freedom of speech."
In the U.S., meanwhile,
House Speaker John Boehner said last week a government surveillance program helped authorities stop a would-be bomber who planned to attack Capitol Hill.
Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican, told
Newsmax TV earlier this month the government must be allowed to conduct surveillance
"I will use the New York City Police Department as an example," King said. "After 9/11, they put in the best counterterrorism force possible in the world. They did, and yet they were criticized by The New York Times, the Associated Press, Bill de Blasio when he ran for election to mayor.
"It was considered profiling and it was considered racism — the fact that we would actually be looking into the Muslim community to see whether or not there was any terrorists when we know that's where they're coming from.
"All the more reason why it's so important to have intelligence and surveillance ... The only chance you have where the odds are with you to stop a terrorist attack is if you have prior intelligence."
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