France’s browser-based website blocking proposal will set a disastrous precedent for the open internet

In a well-intentioned yet dangerous move to fight online fraud, France is on thevergeof forcing browsers to create a dystopian technical capability. Article 6 (para II and III) of theSREN Billwould force browser providers to create the means to mandatorily block websites present on a government provided list. Such a move will overturn decades of established content moderation norms and provide a playbook for authoritarian governments that will easily negate the existence of censorship circumvention tools.

France wants to outdo everyone else for the worst tech policy ideas in history.