The French Assembly has voted to adopt the controversial 'three strikes' rule, which will see Gallic internet pirates banned from the web if they are suspected three times of illegal downloading.
This ruling is despite the European Parliament recently passing a measure which quashed the 'three strikes' idea, stopping ISPs from automatically blacklisting individuals without going through the courts.
Tangled web
The law was passed by a very narrow margin (296 to 233) and is now on its way to the Senate for final approval.
It is something that has been pushed vehemently by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his musician wife Carla Bruni.
To police the 'three strikes' policy a new governing body would have to be set up to monitor the web for illegal wrongdoings.
Those caught downloading illegally in the country will first be issued with a warning email, then a written letter and eventually cut off from the web altogether and blacklisted from signing up to other ISPs.
It also may mean that those hit with the 'three strikes' rule won't be able to fight it in the courts, something the EU is against.
Speaking to the BBC, socialist parliamentarian Patrick Bloche has criticised the ruling, explaining that it was "dangerous, useless, inefficient, and very risky for us citizens".
Via BBC
