April 29 2021 French official local time on the 28th launched a new anti-terrorism bill to strengthen the tracking of extremist activities, especially to strengthen surveillance of extremist-related websites to prevent terrorist attacks.
French Interior Minister Dalmanin said the same day, the bill will strengthen the French intelligence services to monitor online behavior, expand the use of intelligence personnel related technology, through the Internet to track extremists, so that intelligence services can find people who have visited extremist websites many times.
Mr Dalmanen said it was becoming increasingly difficult to track the activities of extremists, who had changed their contacts, made fewer contacts over the phone and were more likely to communicate over the internet and social media. He believes that listening to ordinary telephone lines has become less effective in counter-terrorism.
Dalmanen said two attacks had been foiled through data tracking, but gave no further details. It remains to be seen whether the technical means will be effective in helping intelligence agents fight terrorism, according to French public opinion.
In addition, the Act gives greater authority to the authorities in restricting the activities of persons convicted of terrorist offences after they have been released from prison. French Justice Minister Moretti said the supervision of such criminals should be strengthened.
French Prime Minister Al-Kaste said the bill would be part of a broader official response to terrorism. He said that since Macron took office in 2017, France has passed a number of security-related laws, foiled 36 attacks and created a national counter-terrorism prosecutor to coordinate investigations related to terrorist attacks.
The bill has been prepared over a long period of time and is not directly related to the knife attacks that took place a few days ago. A 49-year-old French policewoman was killed by a knife-wielding assailant at a police station in Rambouillet, Evelyn province, on Wednesday. France’s counter-terrorism services are continuing to investigate the case.
