French May Copy Chinese Internet Censors on Online Gambling

In order to protect an online gambling system of regulation the EC has already deemed illegal, France is looking to Internet censorship of search engines, along the lines of China.

France is considering requiring Internet search engines to censor their results to prevent display of unlicensed online gambling sites. The method is similar to that Google has refused to perform for China, leading the search engine to move toward abandoning its Chinese operations.

The Finance Committee of the French Senate approveed an attachment to the national gaming measure which would force search engines to block results which could help residents access online casinos not under the country's regulatory system. The regulations contained in the bill have already drawn an informed opinion from the European Commission advising France that the rules as written would violate European Treaty requirements.

China and Google are currently embroiled in a dispute, as China wants to deny access to sites deemed undesireable, including Internet gambling, pornography, and political activism. Google has claimed its servers have suffered cyberattacks from China, and says it would remove service from the country rather than censor results.

France is advancing the online gambling bill, despite EC warnings that continuing without adjusting the law could result in infringement charges. The treaty forming the EU demands that all member nations act as a single market, preventing discrimination in favor of domestic companies.

The French bill would require online gambling operators to obtain French licensing, and grant domestic operators advantages in receiving licenses. Foreign operators would need to establish a physical presence in France to be considered.

The Remore Gaming Association and other gambling industry organs have already protested the proposed French regulations. With the advent of the potential censorship clause, groups advocating Internet freedom are certain to join in the protests.