You would think Europe would have learned its lesson about fascism during World War II. Of all the nations of Europe, you would expect France to have especially learned its lesson since it suffered under the boot of Nazi Germany for quite some time. Yet, in a rather ironic twist, France is leading the way to the fascism revival on that continent:
French parliamentary deputies, defying government wishes, have voted in favour of penalising smartphone makers which fail to cooperate in terrorism inquiries, entering a controversy that has pitted the FBI against Apple in the United States.
The move came in the form of an amendment to a penal reform bill that was receiving its first reading in parliament.
Part of me appreciates France’s honesty in its pursuit of absolute power over its people. While I completely disagree with such a philosophy I do prefer an opponent who is honest about their intentions. On the other hand, an honest government is often the most terrifying kind. When the State no longer sees a need to even pay lip service to the rights of individuals it quickly begins perpetrating heinous act after heinous act.
It’ll be interesting if this bill manages to pass into law. I’m sure the French government foresees it as an effective means of compelling smartphone manufacturers to kowtow to law enforcers. But it will likely convince smartphone manufacturers to take their business elsewhere. I can’t imagine many CEOs willing to risk being kidnapped because their company’s devices used effective cryptography. Especially when there are so many other countries around the world willing to take in money making companies.