Database provokes civil rights anger
New ‘French FBI’ causes outrage by keeping details on union members, politicians and children as young as 13.
A database created for the new ‘French FBI’ has angered civil rights groups by keeping details on children aged as young as 13.
The union of magistrates called for all those involved in legal work to protest against what it described as an ‘anti-democratic’ project ‘directly detrimental to liberties’.
The Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) has called for strict criteria for the people who are able to access the information.
Pressure group la Ligue des Droits de l'Homme said the database was ‘incompatible with human rights’ and criticised the fact that suspicion alone was enough to justify being catalogued.
The database, named Edvige, collects information on those “likely to undermine public order”.
It is used by the Direction Centrale du Renseignement Intérieur (DCRI) – a new ‘FBI-style’ national intelligence body created in July.
Until its launch it was not possible to hold details on minors save in exceptional circumstances such as sexual offences.
Other groups who may find themselves documented include former and current politicians, unionists and members of religious organisations.
The details collected include whether someone is married, their telephone number, address and email along with a physical and behavioural description.
Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie said is would only be used in extreme cases.
She said the law had been modified to include those aged 13 and older because of the rising amount of juvenile crime and the fact that young people can be used by adults for drug trafficking.
According to the decree which established the database, information held on it cannot be linked to any other databases including that of a future one due to be setup between the police and the gendarmerie in January 2009.
A close ally of President Nicolas Sarkozy, Bernard Squarcini, until now head of the DST counter-intelligence service, has been appointed head of the DCRI.
Squarcini said the 3,000-strong intelligence agency would work closely with the foreign and defence ministries and the DGSE foreign intelligence agency.
Photo:Clix
