One database to organize them all, one database to consolidate them, one database to normalize the surveillance data and in the ether search them:
Finally, the bill allows for a database called "Pericles" that can pull together information from various existing French databases to create a "super-dossier" on people. According to Le Monde, such a database could contain all sorts of crucial, personal information, and sounds certain to set off the same debates that have taken place in the US whenever similar projects have been floated.
The progressive French can rest safe in the knowledge that at least they won't have to worry about grocery stores and Amazon violating their privacy in order to sell them more products that they make like. Commercial databases are, after all, far more of a threat to life, liberty and property than any government database, even a super database that consolidates the data from most of the government's ministries.
This comes with a provision to give French police more authority to conduct electronic surveillance, and to create a censorship regime for web pages, starting with child pornography websites. Once the fundamental infrastructure is in place, the French political class can move aggressively to expand it to other areas. The European Union is slowly, but steadily, moving toward its members having a great deal more control over their societies as demographic breakdown becomes imminent.
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