(Transcript from World News Radio)
A new law granting sweeping powers to spy on citizens has been passed by the French parliament.
The changes are intended to intercept terrorist activity, but there's concern the mass surveillance will infringe privacy.
Sarah Abo reports.
Passed by an overwhelming majority, the President of the French National Assembly Claude Bartolene made the announcement.
"In favour, 438, against, 86, the National Assembly has adopted. The session is suspended."
The lower house voted to allow dramatic changes to France's surveillance laws, giving authorities their most intrusive domestic spying abilities yet.
Analysis of electronic data, phone taps, hidden microphones and cameras, will all be allowed, without the need for judicial approval.
Instead, a newly created supervisory body will provide advice on whether surveillance should be initiated.
The body will be made up of 13 people, including magistrates, senators, and a technical expert.
According to French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, the last intelligence law was created in 1991, when there was no internet or mobile phones.
Socialist Party politician, Sebastian Denaja, believes it's a move in the right direction.
"It is about fighting against terrorism, about guaranteeing the security of the French people, to ensure the French people's freedom. I feel there are guarantees, safeguards. And the ultimate safeguard is the one that Francois Hollande has now given us by referring the matter to the Constitutional Council to ensure this law will indeed be absolutely true to the fundamental freedoms."
The bill was months in the making, but has gained momentum following the terrorist attacks at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket.
It's also a bid to curb the increasing number of French nationals reportedly joining the self-proclaimed Islamic State militant group in Iraq and Syria.
But some are skeptical.
French centre right "Union for a Popular Movement" party member, Pierre Lellouche believes there's no guarantee the right people will be targeted.
"9/11 and all the attacks in France, were made by people who were under surveillance and of which surveillance was interrupted for a variety of reasons, probably the lack of means, the bill does not address the question of means."
Pouria Amirshahi, from the French Socialist party, is worried there'll be no way anyone can escape the suveillance.
"But it is a law that would enable a massive uptake of data, allowing the surveillance of many individuals, some of which have nothing to do with terrorism, organised crime."
The bill has also been widely opposed by civil rights groups, not unlike the response following Australia's changes to data retention policy.
The president of Amnesty International France, Genevieve Garrigos says a judge should still have the power of final approval.
"The scope of application is very broad because it concerns terrorism, quite obviously, but also economic issues, diplomatic issues, the issue of demonstrations which may constitute a danger to public order. And not only is this scope broad but in addition it is very vaguely defined, therefore it precisely allows an enormous amount of people to be put under surveillance."
There's also concern from big business that confidential deals with international companies may be jeopardised in light of electronic monitoring.
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