French newspaper Le Monde has acquired an internal document that lays out two proposals in response to the deadly Paris attacks last month. One proposal looks to ban the use of the Tor network in France.
The first proposal in the document concerns the usage of open or shared Wi-Fi networks when in a state of emergency. As suspects could take advantage of public Wi-Fi networks for communication purposes while escaping being traced, the legislation seeks to shut down all public Wi-Fi hotspots when a state of emergency is declared.
The second proposal is the ban on communications using the Tor network, which is a service that anonymizes online users. In this proposition, the ban is permanent and not only implemented during a state of emergency such as in the first proposal.
Tor is a volunteer-run network that bounces the data requests of users all over the world, which makes it very hard to trace the identity of users on it.
The Tor network is one of the most popular tools among Internet users who want to keep their identities hidden, which has made the network infamous due to its role in online crime rings and drug markets. Tor, however, has also become an important tool for journalists and whistleblowers to spread information without worry of backlash.
The proposal to ban the Tor network in France, if approved, would be a difficult one to implement over an entire country. China attempted to do it by blocking access nodes, but there are workarounds to this measure. What would be more effective would be for the French government to work with Internet service providers to find users that are connecting to the Tor network and then fine the users for violating the ban.
The two proposals, however, are still a long way from being enacted into law. According to Le Monde, the proposals will not be presented to the French parliament until next year, and afterwards, it will still take some time to vote upon the proposals and implement them.
While the merits of banning the usage of the Tor network can be understood, such a law would be a move against the online privacy and security of the average user. Such a move has been the subject of debate in the United States as well, as law enforcement agencies push for backdoor access to encrypted material while Internet privacy advocates clamor against it.
