French parliament gives green light to secretly record footage from phones of suspects

By Esra Taskin

PARIS (AA) - The French National Assembly adopted a third article of a bill that allows police and gendarmerie to secretly take video and audio recordings from the phones of suspects in terrorism and organized crime cases.

Lawmakers are discussing the bill known as the Law of Justice, which gives broad powers to law enforcement.

Article 3 of the bill was accepted which allows police and gendarmerie to receive audio and video recordings and location information from digital devices of suspects.

The article, which is still under discussion, does not cover parliamentarians, judges, lawyers, doctors and journalists.

Activists criticize the bill on grounds it could be used against them.

Some politicians also consider the bill an intervention into private life.