The lower house of the French parliament has approved a draft bill that will allow the state unprecedented control over the Internet. Although the government says it will improve security for ordinary citizens, civil rights activists are warning of a "new level" of censorship and surveillance. For members of the French administration, it is a law against digital crime. For civil rights activists and politicians from opposition parties, it is a plan for censorship that excites fear and loathing -- and even conjures up the specter of Big Brother and the surveillance state. The lower house of the French parliament, the National Assembly, passed the first draft of the bill, known as "Loppsi 2," on Tuesday. It will now go on for a second reading in the Senate, where it seems likely to pass, thanks to the government's majority. If the Senate approves the bill, the new law could come into force as early as this summer. The legislation could have far-reaching consequences: Loppsi 2 contains rules that would make France the European country where the Internet is subject to the most censorship, regulation, control and surveillance. The new legislation could in the future force Internet service providers (ISPs) to shut off access to criminal sites, should they be officially instructed to do so. According to the draft legislation, the law "makes it the responsibility of each Internet service provider to ensure that users don't have access to unsuitable content."

Reporting from Beijing - In a move that will give the government new powers to police the Internet, China will require individuals seeking to establish personal websites to verify their identities with regulators and have their photographs taken. The order lifts a ban on registering personal sites that was issued in December as part of a campaign to crack down on Internet pornography. To apply, an individual must visit his or her local Internet service provider's office, submit an identification card and pose for a photograph. Applications will then be sent to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for review. The new requirements add another layer of oversight in a country that is already deeply criticized for having some of the world's strictest Internet controls. Regulators have also discussed requiring stricter identity verification to purchase mobile phones and leave comments online.

All Giz readers know that there are two major battles being waged between government and geeks across the country: the mandatory internet filter and an R18+ rating for video games. But how will one affect the other? Luke over at Kotaku contacted the minister to find out, and the good news is that it’s not all bad news for gamers… Turns out that the Australian Department of Broadband Communication is monitoring the discussion on an R18+ classification for video games, and their “approach to filtering online games will be developed drawing on this consultation process”. Until a definitive decision’s been made, apparently games will be entirely excluded from the filter.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Recent cyber attacks on Google and other American corporations have been traced to a top Chinese university as well as a school with ties to the Chinese military, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing people involved in the investigation. Those people told the Times that the Chinese schools involved are Shanghai Jiaotong University and the Lanxiang Vocational School. They said the attacks may have started as early as April 2009 — earlier than previously thought. According to the report, investigators believe there is evidence suggesting a link to a computer science class at the vocational school taught by a Ukrainian professor. Google jolted U.S.-China ties with its Jan. 12 announcement that it had faced a “highly sophisticated and targeted attack” in mid-December, allegedly from inside China. More than 20 other companies were also targeted, though Google said a primary target was dissidents’ e-mail accounts.