Despite the recent terrorist attack in France, which took place in Paris on Friday, Nov. 13, French prime minister Manuel Valls has publicly stated that the country will not block access to Tor or public Wi-Fi, despite reports published days earlier by the French national paper Le Monde.
"A ban on Wi-Fi is not a course of action envisaged," stated Valls, according to the publication the Connexion.
In his statement, Valls also called for a balance of tightened police surveillance and an allowance for open communication for the country's citizens.
"Internet is a freedom, is an extraordinary means of communication between people, it is a benefit to the economy," added the prime minister. "It is also a means for terrorists to communicate and spread their totalitarian ideology. The police must take in all of these aspects to improve their fight against terrorism, but the measures we take must be effective."
The respective proposals that Le Monde reported were different in nature: the first suggested shutting down access to Tor services within the country entirely, while the second proposed banning access to public Wi-Fi hotspots temporarily during its state of emergency, which has been enacted until Feb. 26, 2016.
The main impetus for continuing public Wi-Fi accessibility is due to the state of emergency itself: by keeping it an exoteric, attainable service, French citizens will be able to easily check if transportation is running, what emergency shelters are within the given vicinity and more.
Via: ARS Technica
Photo: Garry Knight | Flickr
