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French govt. says users of uBlock Origin, Signal etc. are potential terrorists

laquadrature.net

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Re: French govt. says users of uBlock Origin, Signal etc. are potential terrorists

#33

Post by h0l0cube »

nestorD wrote: post #6

The key is that, while there is suspicion (the people arrested have a far left ideology, have been to Syria to fight against the Islamic state, own weapons and encrypt all of their communications), there is no crime nor proof of an intent to commit a crime . These people have been sent to prison because they are suspicious, not because of an action they have done (something made possible as a special case of an older…

> the people arrested have a far left ideology, have been to Syria to fight against the Islamic state, own weapons and encrypt all of their communications

Is there a place where we can read more about this? The article seems to explain none of that context, it only purports that people are suspicious and can be arrested for simply having good 'digital hygiene'.

Edit: Some relevant passages from TFA

> Likewise, the critical attitude towards technologies, and in particular to Big Tech (Google, Amazon, Facebook Apple and Microsoft, GAFAM), is considered as a sign of radicalisation. Among the questions asked to the defendants, one can read: Are you anti-GAFA?”, “What do you think of GAFA?” or “Do you feel a certain reserve towards communication technologies?”.

> These questions are to be read in light of one report from the DGSI titled “The ultra-left movement”, which states that “members” of this movement are alledgedly showing “a great culture of secrecy […] and a certain reserve towards technology”.

Don't see any mention of Syria or weapons.

Re: French govt. says users of uBlock Origin, Signal etc. are potential terrorists

#34

Post by Krisjohn »

midoridensha wrote: post #4
pndy wrote: post #3

English version of the article doesn't mention uBlock Origin at all https://www.laquadrature.net/en/2023/06/05/criminalization-o...

The French version (readable with a translation extension) does, but it's just one of a long list of things including GrapheneOS, LineageOS, Jitsi, FDroid, Tor, RiseupVPN, etc.

I must say I spluttered a bit at F-Droid.

Re: French govt. says users of uBlock Origin, Signal etc. are potential terrorists

#35

Post by conradfr »

nestorD wrote: post #6

The key is that, while there is suspicion (the people arrested have a far left ideology, have been to Syria to fight against the Islamic state, own weapons and encrypt all of their communications), there is no crime nor proof of an intent to commit a crime . These people have been sent to prison because they are suspicious, not because of an action they have done (something made possible as a special case of an older…

Yesterday the French government dissolved an environmental movement (which I don't like btw), amongst the reasons stated[0] are that they leave their phones at home or switch them off, refuse to talk to the police when arrested, or even that they organize their protest over the internet.

When accused of authoritarian tendencies the government usually answers "go to China or North Korea to see what a dictatorship is like".

[0] https://twitter.com/mart1oeil/status/1671467485931921408

Re: French govt. says users of uBlock Origin, Signal etc. are potential terrorists

#36

Post by sofixa »

midoridensha wrote: post #21
sofixa wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or course the French government doesn't support ISIS, they also monitored everyone who fought for them. The problem is that these people are (supposedly) radicalised, and with active military experience (and probable related PTSD), not who they fought against.

[flagged]

There are different directions in which one can be radicalised, not just ISIS style radical Islam. The group don't hide they were calling for revolution, which is pretty radical.

> And what exactly has France done to fight ISIS anyway?

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalition_internationale_en_Ir... (curiously the English language article doesn't mention French forces in the outline, but does in the text)

Just sent an aircraft carrier, some ships and planes, and special forces. And intelligence. Contributed more than anyone outside of the US and local forces like YPG. Led one of the first coalitions that were extremely wide (including everyone from Bahrain through Belgium and Japan to Russia and China). But sure, you haven't heard about it, so they didn't do anything

> I guess that's a little better than what they did in Rwanda to support the genocide there

Wait, is France bad when it intervenes or when it doesn't intervene? In Rwanda they didn't "support" the genocide of course, just didn't do much to stop it after supporting the faction that commited it before.

Re: French govt. says users of uBlock Origin, Signal etc. are potential terrorists

#38

Post by getrealal »

midoridensha wrote: post #21
sofixa wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or course the French government doesn't support ISIS, they also monitored everyone who fought for them. The problem is that these people are (supposedly) radicalised, and with active military experience (and probable related PTSD), not who they fought against.

[flagged]

They are far-left activists who went to fight alongside Kurdish militias of the YPG, a group affiliated with the PKK, considered a terrorist organisation by the European Union.

That is why they were put under surveillance when they came back to France.

Here is a reference in French: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affaire_du_8_d%C3%A9cembre_202...

Ultimately it's a bit more complicated than good people fighting versus evil people (and as far as I'm concerned, they were effectively fighting for a US proxy against another US proxy).

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