The anti-scam filter reaches a first milestone at the National Assembly

The controversial anti-scam filter has just reached its first milestone in the National Assembly. Studied by the deputies of the special commission in charge of examining the bill aimed at securing and regulating the digital space, this flagship provision of the government text was adopted on Wednesday evening.

By the way, the elected officials of the Palais-Bourbon, who will study the text in public session from October 4th, have given a little facelift to this measure already adopted by the Senate. In addition to editorial amendments, the Renaissance Group has thus explicitly expanded the filter to sites that phishing, the target of the device.

“Clear and readable”

Likewise, the modalities of the message to be displayed to warn Internet users have been specified. The latter must be “clear, readable, unique and understandable” by “warning of the risk of harm incurred”. Finally, the deputies blew up the mandatory monitoring imposed on the administration. This obligation is “likely to generate very significant and disproportionate costs and administrative burden,” noted Deputy Eric Bothorel, while the targeted sites have an ephemeral lifespan.

Highlighted by the government in its communication, the anti-scam filter has already fallen behind, as the Informant had noticed. Its implementation, initially announced for the rugby World Cup, which has started, is now envisaged before the Olympic Games in Paris. Provided, of course, that the provision passes the examination of Parliament.

“There is a discussion on how to implement this filter which involves both access providers and browsers,” Jean-Noël Barrot, the deputy minister in charge of the digital transition, told Le Monde. “But I have every confidence in the fact that, with the debates in the National Assembly, we will find the balanced formula that guarantees fundamental freedoms while ensuring its protective role,” he added.

Criticisms of the Mozilla Foundation

The anti-scam filter has in particular been criticized by the Mozilla Foundation, which has launched an online petition against the measure. “Despite its legitimate motivation, this measure which aims to block websites directly in the browser would be a disaster for a free Internet and would be disproportionate to the objectives,” she explained in an article published at the end of June.

These concerns are partly shared by the president of the Cnil, Marie-Laure Denis. “It is crucial that the legitimate objective of cybersecurity does not lead in practice to an abusive restriction of the freedoms of communication and expression,” she explained at the beginning of June in the Senate. Before emphasizing his satisfaction with the “guarantees provided” and the establishment of an independent control.