Loi pour une République numérique

The loi pour une République numérique (abr. loi numérique) is a French law first proposed by Axelle Lemaire, Secretary of State for Digital Affairs, voted on 07/10/2016.[1]

Axelle Lemaire, proposer of the law

This law enables the government to fulfill a two-fold purpose : "to give France a head start in the digital field by promoting an open data and knowledge policy" and to "adopt a progressive digital approach, based on individuals, to strengthen their power to act and their rights in the digital world".[2] To do so, the law is organized around three lines: the circulation of data and knowledge, the protection of individuals in the digital society and access to digital for all.

The discussion began with an online public consultation, until 18 October 2015, then, enriched with some proposals from Internet users, the law was debated and voted in the National Assembly from 19 to 26 January 2016.[3][4][5] It follows the "Digital Ambition" consultation led by Benoit Thieulin and Yann Bonnet, as part of the work of the National Digital Council.[6][7]

It's a major IT law. It supersedes the Loi pour la confiance dans l'économie numérique (Confidence in the Digital Economy Act) of 2004.

Themes

The bill voted by MEPs at first reading introduces in particular the default opening of public data, net neutrality, an obligation of loyalty for online platforms, as well as increased protection for the personal data of Internet users. The law for a digital Republic also provides the conditions of an Internet accessible to the greatest number, through the acceleration of the coverage of the territory in very high bandwidth and in mobile telecommunications, measures for a better access of people with disabilities to online services, and the creation of a right to the continuation of the Internet connection in case of unpaid bills for households in difficulty.

Accessibility

Measures to promote accessibility for people with disabilities on public service sites had been planned. However, they are now only recommended, with an obligation to inform if the site is accessible or not, which is criticized by the association "les aveugles de France",[8] the collective "Pour une France accessible"[9] and the association "Faire Face".[10]

Open Data and data portability

Included in the project is a default release of public data, and a recommendation for the use of interoperable formats.[11]

Free Software and Open Formats

Article 16 of the law provides for the encouragement of the use of free software and open formats in public administration information systems, in order to preserve their control, durability and independence.

In addition, the law specifies that source codes are administrative documents that can be communicated and reused, under article 2 of the law. An implementing decree has been issued to specify the list of licenses, all of which are open source, applicable to the distribution of these source codes. A list of these source codes is published by Etalab.

The definition of digital commons was discussed, with great interest during the online consultation, then withdrawn by Matignon. The cabinet of Fleur Pellerin, then Minister of Culture, is against it.[12] Isabelle Attard condemned Matignon's withdrawal of the Commons,[13] then submitted an amendment in favour of the Commons, which was rejected.[14]

Freedom of panorama has also been debated, but the potential commercial use of images is likely to be a problem.[15] A compromise amendment has been accepted, but does not satisfy all the demands of those in favour of freedom of panorama, in particular because it only allows strictly non-commercial use,[16] which is difficult to define on the Internet.

Open access

The law promotes open access to scientific publications at no cost.[17] Research publications funded at least 50% by public funds can be made available free of charge after an embargo period:[18] article 30 makes self-archiving possible for all authors after 6 or 12 months from the publication (if publicly funded).[19]

This right of the authors is non-waivable,[20] so any contractual provision to the contrary is superseded, even for articles published before 2016,[21] as the law is meant to encourage green open access irrespective of academic publishers' policies.

Digital access for all

A proposal was also adopted to guarantee a right to the Internet for all,[22] even if limited, allowing access to electronic mail or online public services. Network operators will be encouraged to develop their investments where the needs are greatest, through the prolongation and extension of the scope of over-damping to the deployment of fibre in rural areas.[23]

Sovereign Operating System

An amendment[24] in favour of a sovereign OS was also adopted, which provoked rather negative reactions, notably from ANSSI,[25] due to the possible lack of realism of the proposal and of already existing solutions, such as the secure operating system CLIP, based on Linux.[26][27][28]

Privacy

The CNIL's power would be strengthened, in the event of a recurrence, to reach 4% of turnover or 20 million euros. Amendments in favour of the right to be forgotten for minors and the closure of the online accounts of deceased persons were also approved.[29] Group actions against companies that do not respect privacy are also planned.[30]

Digital death

Article 63 of the Law[31] incorporates the concept of digital death to define what becomes of a person's digital data upon death. The principles of data protection provided in the Data Protection, Files and Freedoms Act become obsolete. But the Law gives the possibility of defining directives relating to the conservation, erasure and communication of personal data after his death, failing which, it is the legal heirs who may act on these digital data.[32]

Digital trade issues

In January 2016, the National Assembly amended the bill with amendment No. 376, adding an article 23 bis and ter making anyone renting their property on a platform such as Airbnb without the written permission of its owner [33] liable to imprisonment, heavy fines and even eviction from their home. The amendment was defended by PS member Sandrine Mazetierr.[34]

In addition, the Senate proposes that income earned on online sales platforms would be automatically declared to the tax authorities.[35]

Video game competitions

In January 2016, Prime Minister Manuel Valls entrusted two MPs, Rudy Salles and Jérôme Durain, with the task of "defining a legislative and regulatory framework to promote the development of video game competitions in France" to the French Secretary of State for Digital Affairs and Innovation, Axelle Lemaire.[36] The report submitted in March 2016 by the two parliamentarians led to participation in the bill for a digital Republic,[37] which in its chapter 4 section 2 recognizes the practice of video games in competition in France, as well as an official status for professional players.[38]

Reactions and critics

Online consultation

This bill is the first to have been preceded by an online consultation:

  • an initial consultation[39] organised by the Conseil national du numérique which identified certain subjects to be included in the law (portability, open data..)
  • a second consultation[40] organised by the government on the text of the bill.

A project deemed insufficient

The LR group in the National Assembly criticised "a coherent but unfortunately very inadequate package", while the UDI group expressed concern about the digital divide. Environmentalists and the left front regretted the withdrawal of the information commons.[41]

See also

Notes and references
  1. "La loi pour une République numérique est promulguée". economie.gouv.fr (in French). Le portail de l'Économie et des Financies. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
  2. "Dossiers législatifs - Exposé des motifs - LOI n° 2016-1321 du 7 octobre 2016 pour une République numérique - Legifrance". www.legifrance.gouv.fr.
  3. Loi Numérique : des amendements pour imposer IPv6 et encadrer le terme « fibre » sur NextImpact, 19 janvier 2016
  4. Les députés s'emparent de la loi numérique sur Libération, 19 janvier 2016
  5. Carton plein pour le projet de loi sur le numérique sur Le Parisien, 26 janvier 2016
  6. "Ambition numérique - Concertation nationale sur le numérique". ambition.cnnumerique.fr. Archived from the original on 2017-12-23. Retrieved 2018-08-05.
  7. . 2015-06-01 http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/rapports-publics/154000400-ambition-numerique-pour-une-politique-francaise-et-europeenne-de-la-transition. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. Projet de loi « pour une République numérique » : Entre insuffisance et déception, sur le site officiel de la Fédération des Aveugles de France, 19 janvier 2016
  9. Projet de loi pour une République numérique : Le Collectif pour une France accessible dénonce un manque d’ambition ! Archived 2016-01-29 at the Wayback Machine Association des paralysés de France sur Ressources Solidaires, 20 janvier 2016
  10. Le projet de loi numérique ne rendra pas internet accessible site de l'association Faire Face, 18 janvier 2016
  11. Projet de loi numérique : ce que contient le texte que vont examiner les députés sur Le Monde, 19 janvier 2016
  12. Contre les communs, l'argumentaire de Fleur Pellerin adressé à des députés sur NextImpact, 19 janvier 2016
  13. Loi numérique : « Ce manque de courage politique me gonfle » sur Rue89, 18 janvier 2016
  14. Loi numérique: l'Assemblée rejette les amendements sur les Communs sur L'Humanité, 21 janvier 2016
  15. France, libère ton panorama ! sur Rue89, 15 janvier 2016
  16. Deuxième bug : la liberté de panorama passe, mais boiteuse sur Rue89, 21 janvier 2016
  17. Pedro Príncipe (2016-11-29). "New French Digital Republic Law boosts support for OA and TDM".
  18. Débattue à l'Assemblée, la loi numérique provoque des tensions sur Les Echos, 19 janvier 2016
  19. "Résumé de l'article 30 : – Open Access France". Retrieved 2019-07-30.
  20. "Aix-Marseille Université - La loi pour une République numérique". hal-amu.archives-ouvertes.fr. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
  21. "Guide d'application de la loi pour une République numérique (art. 30) – Ecrits scientifiques – Version courte" (in French). Considérant que l’esprit de la loi vise à favoriser la communication scientifique, les chercheurs sont encouragés à déposer leurs manuscrits antérieurs au 8 octobre 2016.
  22. Loi numérique: "L'accès à Internet aussi indispensable que l'accès à l'eau ou l'électricité" sur RMC, 19 janvier 2016
  23. "Adoption du Projet de loi pour une République numérique". AFJV.
  24. "Assemblée nationale ~ RÉPUBLIQUE NUMÉRIQUE(no 3318) - Amendement no 116". www.assemblee-nationale.fr.
  25. Rédaction, La (27 January 2016). "OS souverain : l'Anssi plus que dubitative". ITespresso.fr.
  26. OS souverain : son principe adopté à l'Assemblée... alors qu'il existe déjà sur Journal du Net, 25 janvier 2016
  27. Pourquoi l'idée de créer un OS souverain en France est une erreur sur Les Echos, 25 janvier 2016
  28. OS souverain : le choix Linux pour nos lecteurs sur ZDNet, 25 janvier 2016
  29. "Droit à l'oubli", "mort numérique"...: les députés accordent de nouveaux pouvoirs aux internautes sur L'Express, 22 janvier 2016
  30. Loi numérique : internautes, connaissez-vous vos nouveaux droits ? sur La Tribune, 22 janvier 2016
  31. "LOI n° 2016-1321 du 7 octobre 2016 pour une République numérique (1) - Article 63 - Legifrance". www.legifrance.gouv.fr.
  32. "La mort numérique dans la loi du 7 octobre 2016 - Les Infostratèges". www.les-infostrateges.com.
  33. Projet de loi pour une République numérique adopté par l'Assemblée en première lecture ; Amendement No. 376 ; articles L. 651‑2 et L. 651‑3 du Code de l'habitation (mentionnés dans l'amendement et l'art. 23bis) prévoyant le montant des amendes, la durée de la peine de prison et l'expulsion du logement
  34. Séance du 21 janvier 2016 portail de l'Assemblée nationale
  35. http://www.rtl.fr/actu/economie/le-gouvernement-veut-empecher-le-senat-de-taxer-les-revenus-tires-du-bon-coin-7783077042
  36. (PDF). March 2016 http://www.economie.gouv.fr/files/files/PDF/rapport-etape-esport-mars2016.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  37. . 19 January 2016 http://www.europe1.fr/technologies/manuel-valls-veut-des-competitions-de-jeux-video-en-france-2653071. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  38. . 2016-08-10 https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/eli/loi/2016/10/7/ECFI1524250L/jo#JORFSCTA000033202935. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  39. . 2018-06-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20180611031039/https://ambition.cnnumerique.fr/. Archived from the original on 2018-06-11. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  40. https://www.republique-numerique.fr/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  41. Le projet de loi numérique adopté par l'Assemblée nationale sur Le Point, 26 janvier 2016

External links, to official documents
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