French parliament forms a committee on digital affairs

Frédéric Dubois, Internet Policy Review, Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), Berlin, Germany, editor@policyreview.info

PUBLISHED ON: 10 Jun 2014

After years of being in reactive mode, the French parliament has just decided to set up a Commission du numérique (Committee on digital affairs). This should help French legislators come up with a set of principles meant to guide future legislation impacting the internet’s use and innovation. The timing of the newly-created multi-party and multi-stakeholder committee says everything on the role this committee will play for the future of French and, to a certain extent, European internet policy.

One year after the Snowden revelations on surveillance, in the midst of the European debate on network neutrality (and the latest net neutrality ruling by the US Communications Commission FCC) and as tens of thousands of requests flood Google in the ‘right to be forgotten’ dossier1, the government of Premier Manuel Valls is expected to introduce, in the coming year, a bill on the protection of internet-related rights and freedoms.

The digital affairs committee will meet twice a month starting 18 11 June 2014, with an end date in early 2015. At that time, the committee shall propose practical ways of legislating and a final report on internet-related issues. It includes 13 members of parliament from five different parties, as well as 13 representatives from civil society, the business sector, media and the technical community2. From the research sector, it is worth mentioning that the committee includes post-doctoral researcher Francesca Musiani, who is a regular author at the Internet Policy Review.

“We will reflect on what should be in the law, keeping in mind that the law is not always the most efficient way to deal with digital matters,” said Musiani. Apart from topics such as the right to be forgotten and surveillance, the committee will think through and emit recommendations on cyber crime, the digital economy and the opening of public data. Many elements of internet legislation are already in specific French laws (e.g., law on military programming) but this committee could help forge a set of principles to guide French legislators, particularly when game-changing events come about, such as the revelations on mass surveillance by ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden. “Maybe the digital realm doesn't need to be legislated, at least not always. But when the digital realm is indeed legislated, it needs to be done with great care and balance,” Musiani concludes.

Add new comment