French Law on audiovisual communication must not regulate citizen's freedom of expression on the internet

The revision of 1986's "Liberty of Communication" bill of law will be voted on June 28th.

This law project defines the rights and dutys of audiovisual communications companies, and include an internet chapter. The 43-6-4 sub-amendment, which has been proposed without public debate, frames the citizens' freedom of expression on the internet, with a beforehands obligation of identification.

Each citizen, willing to publish on the web, or to post in a mailing-list, a discussion's forum or a newsgroup, will have to publish his surname, first name and address on his homepage, or to give it to his provider.

Such a law, regulating public expression, must be debated on a wide and public range, especially , as it is the case, when it goes against the actual rules and practices concerning citizen's privacy.

We ask the sub-amendment 43-6-4 to be withdrawn by the government and the examination of such clauses to be postponed until the coming law relative to information society, which will be proposed during the next fall Parliament's session by M. Christian Pierret, french Minister of Industry.

We urge every citizen who feel concerned by the defense of civil liberties to join this appeal.