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Twitter Ordered by French Court to Turn Over Data on Racist Users

Jan. 25, 2013 10:58am
French Court Rules Twitter Must Hand Over User Identifying Data of Those Posting Racist Tweets

Twitter has been ordered by a French court to give user data for anti-semetic tweets but its policy doesn’t release data except under U.S. court order. (Photo: Annette Shaff/Shutterstock)

Twitter has been ordered by a French court to hand over the names and other identifying data of users issuing tweets deemed racist.

AFP reported that the ruling given Thursday came after months in court with the case brought on in October by France’s Union of Jewish Students (UEJF). UEJF’s position was that some tweets, especially those with the hashtag #unbonjuif (#agoodjew), were violating French law.

The New York Times reported that it is unclear if Twitter will comply with the order to supply the user data, which is against the company’s own rules to do except under court order in the United States since that is where the data is stored. Twitter announced last year that it would remove content from its site that it is in violation of a country’s laws, but that content may remain posted in other countries where it is not in violation.

The court order speaks of a larger issue though. As French lawyer Françoise Gilbert put it to the New York Times, it shows “how difficult it can be for companies doing business around the world.”

Here’s more on this larger issue from the Times:

The French case is also part of a brewing fight between the United States and Europe over the data controlled by American Web companies and stored in the cloud. European lawmakers worry about American companies sharing data about Europeans with the United States government under American laws that authorize surveillance on foreign citizens. This case flips that objection on its head, with European authorities seeking information on its citizens from an American company.

Chris Wolf, an American lawyer who was in Brussels this week at a conference debating European data protection laws, said it was proving difficult to interpret jurisdiction laws in the digital age.

He offered a paper analogy. If French authorities sought access to files stored in an American company’s offices in Paris, they could physically get their hands on the material and use it in a court of law.

“The physical presence of a thing or a person have always been major factors in determining which government has the right to have its rules applied,” Mr. Wolf said. “The power to access data makes physical location of evidence irrelevant.”

AFP pointed out that the lawsuit by UEJF was launched just after the anti-semetic attacks by the Islamic extremist Mohamed Merah who killed seven people, three of whom were children, in Toulouse last March.

“This is a decision made Vintage Historical French court has today,” Jonathan Hayoun, president of UEJF, said in a statement (translated by Google Translate. ”She reminded the victims of racism and anti-Semitism that they are not alone, and that the French law that forbids must apply everywhere [...].”

In other French Twitter-related news, the academy in the country dedicated to proper use of the French language has created a new word for hashtag: mot-diese.

Pronounced `Mo-Dee-YEZ’, it doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue. But that’s not the point. French law requires that government agencies use French terms – and teachers are required to spread the word. New words are approved by the Academie Francaise and written into the lawbooks.

The French word for hashtag, published in the official journal on Wednesday, follows the government’s somewhat successful redefinition of email – courriel – and its less successful attempt to persuade people to avoid the word “weekend.”

Featured image by Annette Shaff via Shutterstock.com. 

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Related:

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Comments (30)

  • Marsh626
    Posted on January 27, 2013 at 11:11am

    It’s against the law to be racist in many countries. It’s only a matter of time before that same “progressive” totalitarian thought control comes to America.

    After “liberals” deal with the 2nd Amendment, the 1st Amendment will be next.

    It’s a peer reviewed scientific fact that blacks have the lowest average IQs in the world. And there’s a strong correlation between IQ and quality of life statistics.

    That’s the real reason why there’s racial inequality in America and the world. Not because of White Supremacism (or the “legacy” of it).

    Blacks also commit extremely high rates of violent crime, flunk out of school at insane rates, have the lowest GDP per capita in the world, have chronic social problems, etc.

    Spreading these ugly scientific truths will get you thrown in jail in many parts of the world. Especially in Western (White) countries. Or it will result in you being censored, demonized and even murdered here in America.

    All in the cause of keeping the lie alive that “Diversity Is Strength”…

    Report this comment

    Marsh626  
  • Yeah_Buddy
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 6:55pm

    What are they gonna do, lock up people who text messages some consider racist?

    I ain’t going off the grid. I send emails to gubbermint with my real contact info. Call me dumb but I’m gonna stand tall and face the music. Eff it.

    Report this comment

    Yeah_Buddy  
    • sillyfreshness
      Posted on January 26, 2013 at 4:00am

      And when they mean “racists” they only mean whites. Arabs and blacks can say whatever they want and be as racist as they want to be and they know nobody will say or do anything about it. Moreover they know if a white responds to someone being racist to them (like defending themselves) they know the white person will be charged with a hate crime even though they didn’t start it. That’s what PC Bolshevism is all about. Europe is finished and Amerika isn’t far behind.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgaBw9txktY

      Report this comment

      sillyfreshness  
    • Independent4233
      Posted on January 27, 2013 at 10:11am

      “Twitter Ordered by French Court to Turn Over Data on Racist Users.”

      The elites throughout Europe were tricked into believing they needed warm third world bodies to survive economically with more consumers and tax contributors, so they encouraged massive thrd world immigration.

      They correctly saw it as problematic and potentially disasterous in that moving in alien people would change society, increase crime, and cause untold other rproblems, so they put into force laws that would severely punished those who complained, and they embarked on a psy ops campaign at the same time which demonized them as “haters,” and “racists,” hoping to eliminate resistence.

      But it has been to no avail. The governments of the entire European continent are getting hysterical, because of the growing dissension and tumoil their multicultural schemes have caused.

      As their economies unravel, so too do their multicultural societies.

      Their feeble efforts now at monitoring for “racism” is just another attempt to hold back the wind with a fish net.

      There will be civil war, just as there will be here in the US.

      Report this comment

      Independent4233  
  • SysAdminPgh
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:57pm

    Now here is the IMPORTANT question??? What does the UN say about all this? They’re the ones that really matter… Trace that oBoobo!

    Report this comment

    SysAdminPgh  
  • ExtremeRight
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:50pm

    That’s it I will never post anything on line ever again…. No more posts from me.. Probably we are next..

    In leaving I tell you. Buy assault rifles and teach your children to shoot.. When the monent is right let the bullets fly.. It is either that of slavery for you and your children

    RISE ! RESIST ! REVOLT ! FREEDOOOOOOOOOOOM !

    into hiding I go. Good luck everyone

    Report this comment

    ExtremeRight  
  • DebateMe
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:02pm

    The unoriginal communists in France, just like all communists throughout history, work tirelessly on what you can think, say, and do. Now that they’ve formally elected a communist dictator and the wealthy are fleeing the country, they need to implement thought control so that the masses can be lulled into a false sense of security while the poltically connected elitists break the back of the country while enriching themselves. Just like all communists do, and have done throughout history.

    Report this comment

    DebateMe  
    • I support God's Israel!
      Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:19pm

      This is why my Twitter account IS NOT REAL. I use an IP masker and opened my Twitter account some time ago under a false name!

      CANCEL YOUR TWITTER ACCOUNT NOW OR CANCEL IT AND OPEN A NEW ONE WITH A FALSE NAME. Get yourself a burner phone in case they want to call you to verify you, as they do for Facebook. THERE ARE MANY WAYS AROUND EVERYTHING.

      DO NOT USE GOOGLE. USE http://www.ixquick.com, which does not record your IP address or any searches you do.

      IXQUICK.COM – the only search engine to use!!! If you are using anything else, YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

      Report this comment

      I support God's Israel!  
    • I support God's Israel!
      Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:27pm

      Soon, I will be cancelling my ISP and going back to snail mail and the telephone (a burner phone).
      I will cancel my Cable and go back to the rabbit ears or do without TV altogether. Radio is free, so I will just use that. I am putting my money into technology on my home so I can do without utilities. I grow my own food, but I have also purchased freeze-dried foods. Have have tons of cash stored away, plus some gold. I have many guns hidden off my property that I may use for barter when the civil war does come – AND, IT WILL.

      No, I am not a Prepper, but I AM PREPARED FOR WHATEVER THE GOVT DECIDES TO THROW AT ME – I have already comtemplated them and have acted accordingly. HAVE YOU?

      If you have not prepared, then you are just plain ignorant or don’t care.

      MY HOUSE IS PAID FOR. MY TAXES ARE 5 YEARS PAID, IN ADVANCE (1 YEAR AHEAD AND THE CASH WAITING TO PAY EACH YEAR).

      I have an RV that I can use that is self-sufficient, in case I need to leave and go to my hidden land far away from people, which is also stocked.

      COME ON PEOPLE. If you know your Bible, you know what is coming, so why aren’t you prepared? It will get far worse before the Rapture occurs – CHRIST SAID IT WOULD.

      The Holy Spirit has directed my every move for almost 10 years now. Now, that may sound crazy to those of you who actually do not know Christ and don’t believe in the Bible. But, to those of us who do, WE KNOW WHAT IS COMING. U can push it back, but u cannot prevent it.

      Report this comment

      I support God's Israel!  
    • JediKnight
      Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:49pm

      @ISupport: Are you prepared for cameras to be installed on every street corner? Are you planning to stay inside your “self-sufficient” RV? Does the self-sufficient RV need gas of any kind to run? How will you be disposing of human waste? My point is that you have to come outside at some point, so forget your “burner phone”. They don’t have to be able to trace your phone in order to figure out where you are. Background noise and all kinds of other things can be used to find someone.

      Basically, give it a rest.

      Report this comment

      JediKnight  
    • Junter
      Posted on January 25, 2013 at 5:11pm

      Support, if what you write is true you have quite elaborate preparations. Best of luck.

      Report this comment

      Junter  
    • castious
      Posted on January 25, 2013 at 6:43pm

      Well i think it is to late for me to try to go dark since i have been on some goverment watch list since i was discharged from the army, like every time i have to go to the hospital the county mounties show up with the bus with 8- 14 cruisers witch makes the neighbors kinda nervous, i have pain issues that drives my blood pressure out sight i have a bp cuff and when it goes into error mode i have to go to the hospital, and one night last year i had a full squad of army MP;s carrying what looked to be MP5;s show up while i was on the phone talking to a fellow ex army pal they told me to hang up that my talk was getting close to a security breach that was about to put me in Leavanwoth so i said ok ill hang up the phone so much for me trying to go dark,I cant since 1981

      Report this comment

      castious  
  • term limits for congress
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:48am

    The conclusion that I jumped to was wrong. I thought they would want info on people who wrote things that were anti-prophet.

    Report this comment

    term limits for congress  
  • COFemale
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:25am

    Sac Le Bleu – I am sorry but we here in America have a thing called free speech. We do not have to comply with French, German, British law or any other law. The biggest one is Sharia law. All you countries with sticks up your _______, can go stuff it.

    I would hope Twitter would tell them look it up themselves, I mean run the hashtag and find the names. If Twitter ever turned over such data, they would lose advertisers and users. I would shut down my account. Then I would sue for invasion of privacy by Twitter and the French government.

    Report this comment

    COFemale  
    • KevINtampa
      Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:31am

      You should shutdown your account anyway.

      Report this comment

      KevINtampa  
    • Junter
      Posted on January 25, 2013 at 5:08pm

      “I am sorry but we here in America have a thing called free speech. We do not have to comply with French, German, British law or any other law.”

      Spoken like a true American. Now if only our politicians would stop selling us out.

      No twitter, no facebook. If you have to research something considered “taboo” use a proxy browser like ixquick or startpage.com same company same policy.

      Report this comment

      Junter  
  • RodT82721
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:19am

    I’ll bet no one mentioned this possibility during your public education did they? It’s amazing how painful stupidity can be sometimes.

    Report this comment

    RodT82721  
  • gzorpe
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:17am

    Well if it’s the French Court ordering this… here’s what we should do… we should wait until the French invade America and ultimately take over the world… then the French Court can take what ever they want…

    Report this comment

    gzorpe  
  • Cavallo
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:10am

    I really hope that twitter tells the frogs to get stuffed. I severely doubt there is much wealth stored by twitter in France. If you store any wealth in France you’re an idiot of the first order.

    Report this comment

    Cavallo  
  • SquidVetOhio
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:08am

    Hey, let’s all Twitter-Bomb the French government. See how it takes until they surrender. I’ll go half a day on the over.

    Report this comment

    SquidVetOhio  
  • woodyee
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:07am

    Ha! Twitter should tell the French that it ” ain’t happenin”, and that their time would be better spent forgetting French and learning standard Arabic.

    Report this comment

    woodyee  
  • RaydocX
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:07am

    and who determines what is racist?
    this smacks of a situation in which the governmental pot or ‘watchdogs’ may be calling the kettle… oh wait, don’t want to be accused of racism…

    racism is a practice witholding/ denying equal rights based on color/ culture…
    talking or typing or tweeting about it may be racist, but betrays a prejudice…

    so now the French are going to be the thought police… or is that polizei…

    Report this comment

    RaydocX  
    • woodyee
      Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:32am

      Nice! y concern is the “foot-in-the-door” strategy, which our gobblement often uses to infringe on our Rights.

      First they establish precedence, then they go for the whole shebang…

      Report this comment

      woodyee  
  • Chuck7884
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:07am

    Define racist?. if I or you identify yourself by color or group to include pictures of ourselves and post a message could that be construed as a racist Post if not why not?.

    Report this comment

    Chuck7884  
    • MDECKER
      Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:48pm

      Severing the heads of other people- good, calling another a dirty word-bad. Really?

      Report this comment

      MDECKER  
  • RANGER1965
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:04am

    Simple. Remove Twitter from France, and refuse to do business there. Tell the French government to stick it!

    Report this comment

    RANGER1965  
  • justangry
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:03am

    Piss on them cheese eating surrender monkey Bolsheviks!

    Report this comment

    justangry  
  • Smokey_Bojangles
    Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:02am

    Coming to America.

    Report this comment

    Smokey_Bojangles  

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