France bans amateur videos of illegal violence

March 08th 2007

It’s 10:11 PM and after a long day I ask myself if I’m in the mood for writing. I usually write on the train, and then add the finishing touches & publish while in bed. But lately I’ve been leaving my notebook at work since I’ve already been working long hours. So, while waiting for the shower to become available, I take a look at CNN. Once again France has amazed me. The article is the “Happy Slap” crackdown and here is a quote from the article:

A new law in France makes it a crime — punishable by up to five years in prison — for anyone who is not a professional journalist to film real-world violence and distribute the images on the Internet.

I’ve never heard of a happy slap, even after reading the CNN article I still don’t know what it is. But whatever it is, I find it crazy that France would outlaw freedom of speech & expression. And this isn’t the first time. Another example cited in the CNN article is the law France passed outlawing the sale of Nazi stuff. They sued Yahoo over it because the Yahoo auctions contained Nazi memorabilia. Sometimes France seems so archaic. We’re talking first amendment stuff here. There are lots of rather obvious implications here and I’m not sure what will come of it but I don’t think it’s good.

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Comments

3 Comments so far

  1. Antonio Pacheco on March 10, 2007 1:51

    A “happy slap” (stupid name BTW) is the kind of things that happens in the Jackass TV show: for example, you’re waiting for your bus when suddenly someone comes just behind you and hits you in the face. Of course, someone has recorded it on his camera or cell phone, and it will be published on Internet, on some youtube websites.
    This is totally stupid but will never be sanctionned so hardly by the law. In my opinion, this is a good thing to punish the responsibles. Would you be happy to get hurt by someone you don’t know, just to make people laught on Internet?
    Believe me it has nothing to do with the “freedom of speech & expression” in this case.

    Anyway, your blog is very interesting. Keep going.

  2. Michael on March 10, 2007 8:22

    First I’d point out that just walking up and hitting someone who is waiting for a bus is already illegal. That’s violence. What bothers me about this new law is that it is not a ban on the person committing the violence, but on the photographer / videographer, who may or may not be an accomplice. Take for example the people who catch police brutality on camera. The way I understand this law is that they cannot publish it in an editorial context.

    I’ve read stories of photographers in France being harassed by the police. Especially during the riots. And now this law makes it even worse for the photographers.

  3. Alan Howard on March 12, 2007 22:46

    I believe the expression ‘happy slap’ originated in England where small gangs of thugs would beat someone up at random while one of their number videoed it on a cell phone. Mindless but we seem to be stuck with a yob culture here.

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