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Deutsch: Das Ende der Anonymität von Bloggern in Frankreich?

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Macedonian: Крај за анонимноста на блогерите во Фр...

The French senator Jean-Louis Masson submitted on 3 May 2010 a draft law that would end anonymity of bloggers who, according to the text, would have to provide on their blogs identification data such as name, phone number and address.

The proposed legislation would prohibit the use of pseudonyms for bloggers and would apply the same regulation as for the written press.

The senator justified his proposal with the argument of protecting Internet users from deceit, lies or defamation. In an interview for France 3, the senator stated he wanted bloggers to take the responsibility of their statements. In his opinion, a person who does not reveal his identity has something to hide, while generally bloggers choose anonymity out of reasons related to their professional or personal life.

An appeal addressed to the French deputies and senators was signed by several Internet hosting sites such as Wikio, OverBlog, Blogspirit and Canalblog and organisations such as Reporters sans Frontieres and La Quadrature du Net.

The appeal asks the French Parliament to reject the draft law as it would not serve the declared purpose of the protection against defamation which is already covered efficiently by the present legislation. The French law implementing the E-commerce directive already stipulates that hosting sites must immediately suppress any litigious publications at a simple request and notify to the authorities the blogger's identity if applicable. Therefore there is no need for an additional law that would only harm the freedom of expression on the Internet.

A law proposition puts again in question bloggers' anonymity (only in French, 26.05.2010)
http://fr.rsf.org:80/france-une-proposition-de-loi-remet-en-26-05-2010...

Call for the Defence of the right to anonymity on the Internet (only in French, 25.05.2010)
http://www.wikio.fr:80/article/appel-defense-droit-anonymat-internet-1...

Anonymat of bloggers : Jean-Louis Masson persists and signs (only in French, 25.05.2010)
http://www.numerama.com/magazine/15792-anonymat-des-blogueurs-jean-lou...