French Bill Would Restrict Taking Photos, Videos of Police, Hamper Journalists

As complaints have grown about police violence in France, a proposed bill would make it unlawful to disseminate photographs or videos identifying officers if there is an “intent to harm”. The proposal leaves critics worried it could hinder press freedom.

The legislation carries penalties of up to a year in jail and a maximum fine of 45,000 euros ($53,149.05) and put photojournalists on the spot, having to decide if shooting a picture during a protest that could turn unruly would violate the law.

“Intent to harm” is vague enough to cause worry it could lead police to searching or raiding journalists homes and offices, and even search their emails and social media accounts to find evidence, The Guardian said.

Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) said an article in the draft law was based on a “slippery concept” because intent was “open to interpretation and hard to determine,” putting journalists at risk, especially in the fog of a protest.

The group said while it's aimed at photo and video captures that it could be extended to reporters who could be accused of trying to bring harm to police although it's journalists who have been targeted at frequent demonstrations.

“A scathing social media post about police violence or criticism of the police in emails could be exploited in an attempt to demonstrate an intent to harm. It is impossible to know the degree to which such evidence might influence individual judges and convince them that there was a clear intent to harm,” RSF wrote in a statement.

The group said it wants guarantees the proposed law would not enable police to arrest journalists while filming or prevent journalists and news media publishing or broadcasting images of police officers.

France’s independent “defender of rights,” Claire Hédon, said the legislation could pose “considerable risks” on information freedom and privacy and that she was “particularly preoccupied by restrictions envisaged concerning the dissemination of images of security forces agents in the exercise of their duty.”

French police and other law enforcement have been criticized for using rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas against the so-called yellow vests demonstrators as well as batons against students and journalists.

The government said the law is designed to protect heavily-armed and armored police against crowds, but some 40 journalist organizations signed a statement asking Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, to remove clauses it said would “undermine the freedom to inform”.

Emmanuel Vire, Secretary-General of the French national union of journalists (SNJ-CGT,) told Le Monde the law was “liberticide, adding that: “We have the impression of being attacked from everywhere.”