
After Paris Attacks, Proposed French Law Would Block Tor and Forbid Free Wi-Fi - r721
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/after-paris-attacks-proposed-french-law-would-block-tor-and-forbid-free-wi-fi
======
bediger4000
Given that these particular terrorists didn't appear to use Tor, what's the
point? Or are the French doing something proactive, instead of just reacting
like the USA's TSA?

More likely, this is just the French "Intelligence Community" pushing for
something they've wanted for a while, but haven't had a good excuse.

~~~
danso
> _Or are the French doing something proactive, instead of just reacting like
> the USA 's TSA?_

Why is it that you're giving the French the benefit of the doubt here, framing
their actions as being "proactive" rather than reactionary? Who says it _isn
't_ reactionary? If you were an executive officer or politician in charge of
the nation's security apparatus, and it became clear that a massive security
disaster happened not only your watch, but planned in the open on places like
Facebook, prioritizing the legislative agenda towards Tor and encryption is a
_reactionary_ tactic to cover your own ass. To see it otherwise may be a bit
naive about how human organizations work.

~~~
bediger4000
Well, clearly intrusive, dragnet surveillance didn't help the French snoops to
find the Paris attackers - apparently they communicated in the clear. So, if
they're really going to ban usage of Tor and other things, they might,
possibly, have some otherworldly explanation that makes it "proactive in a
Dilbert sense.

------
banku_brougham
I'm in the "intelligence services know not to waste a good opportunity to
expand their powers" camp.

I'm not as sanguine as I used to be about Internet freedom. I can now imagine
the great firewall spreading to all nations, spurred by these events and the
publics general disinterest.

Can you imagine how different the world might be in 20 years?

~~~
kaustavdm
Like you said, this is very much on the lines of the US/UK govt claiming
encryption as the culprit for everything. There would have been a push for
this anyway, irrespective of whether the Paris attacks had happened or not.

The implementation would likely be forced at ISP level, blocking known Tor
nodes. But then, Tor is larger than that.

------
eeZi
Good luck blocking Tor...

