Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

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

laquadrature.net

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 553 posts

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

#71

Post by BiteCode_dev »

Avlin67 wrote: post #59

I have great respect for Quadrature du Net but bear in mind they are almost extrem left and whatever govt say they will be against...

True, but they are very serious and diligent in their actions.

They have been nothing but rational and respectful in everything they have done so far.

You can see it in the writing of the article, it's methodical, logical, and rely strongly on facts through quoting documents.

This have been consistent for years, something I give them a lot of credits for.

Besides, no matter the political orientation of the govt, I think it's safe to say no group at the top was not worth of opposition during the last decades. So it's nice to have movements like La Quadrature that keep them in check.

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

#72

Post by fransje26 »

blank1729 wrote: post #40

[flagged]

Well, in fact, people with knives are considered potential killers in France, to the discretion of the police officer searching you/your car/etc.

You have a small opinel knife at the bottom of your backpack to cut your saucisson and the police is in a bad mood? Straight to jail.

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

#74

Post by hkt »

asddubs wrote: post #12

I guess technically everyone is a potential terrorist

10/10, laughed my head off

Maybe this is like a logic bomb but for authoritarians. Try to convince Macron or random police officers that they too are _potential_ terrorists and watch them go cross eyed.

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

#75

Post by raverbashing »

sofixa wrote: post #18
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 law doesn't say being suspicious is criminal, but that organising with the intent to commit terrorism is, and that's what the prosecutor's will have to prove. The real, actual problem is the unlawful detention. > And, amongst other things, using Signal and Linux with the encryption-on settings are explicitly listed as some of the things making them suspicious in the eyes of the law. In combination with other thin…

Yeah, as much as saying 'using encrypted communications' is a very cheap shot by the prosecution, this seems to be the gist of it, the combination and the organization

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

#76

Post by BiteCode_dev »

csomar wrote: post #57
midoridensha wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very interesting; it looks like these people went to Syria to fight ISIS, and got this ill treatment when they returned. Why does it seem like the French government is always supporting the worst actors in any conflict? ISIS is (was) so evil and barbaric, they make Putin seem like a great guy. Why would volunteering to fight them ever be seen in a bad light?

Someone taking weapons somewhere (regardless of the cause) is always a dangerous person. Regular soldiers included and the government treat them as such. It's an unfortunate position (of course) if that person is fighting on "your" side.

Yes, but the problem here is not that, it's the arguments used to build the case.

They have not been any evidence of criminal activities by those people. So far, all what they have against them is "they are protective about their privacy".

That's a terrible reason to arrest and maintain people in jail.

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

#77

Post by mantas »

lannisterstark wrote: post #68
mantas wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

>That's a very subjective view. I don't think fighting for your civil rights is a 'very subjective view.' If you don't think people should have their civil rights, the questionable position isn't the activists'.

Historically far left loves to take away civil rights just like any other extremists.

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

#78

Post by hkt »

sofixa wrote: post #17

As others have mentioned, context matters a lot. The arrested group came back from Syria (where they fought alongside YPG against ISIS) radicalised, and were monitored ever since then. Their alleged crime isn't using Signal, it's just that a French anti-terrorism law allows to be arrested for "organisation with the intent to commit terrorist acts", which the DGSI(internal intelligence services) claims a radicalised g…

> freed under surveillance

One of many problems with western societies at the moment is the idea that we can be free while under surveillance.

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

#79

Post by lannisterstark »

mantas wrote: post #77
lannisterstark wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>That's a very subjective view. I don't think fighting for your civil rights is a 'very subjective view.' If you don't think people should have their civil rights, the questionable position isn't the activists'.

Historically far left loves to take away civil rights just like any other extremists.

Problem is not that fighting for your civil right makes you a far left, problem is the potential definition you may have of the far left.

If the people were advocating for a state-incorporated everything ala Soviet style communism, I'd agree with you. They aren't.

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

#80

Post by hkt »

someweirdperson wrote: post #23

Wasn't there a time when French FidoNet could not exchange zipped mail, because that would be considered encryption? Maybe my memory is inventing things though.

I'm not sure, but encryption was outlawed entirely in France until 1999 or so: https://www.theregister.com/1999/01/15/france_to_end_severe_...
Post reply on HN