Europe

France Struck Down A Ban On Consulting 'Terrorist Websites'

A top court in France struck down a law that banned internet users from regularly consulting what were deemed "terrorist websites."

France Struck Down A Ban On Consulting 'Terrorist Websites'
Videoblocks
SMS

A top court in France struck down a law that banned internet users from regularly consulting "terrorist websites."

According to several reports out Friday, a 10-member constitutional council vetoed the law because it said it unnecessarily violated the people's freedom of communication.

The law was approved in June 2016, more than six months after terrorist attacks in Paris killed 130 people and injured hundreds more.

Anyone found in violation of the law faced two years behind bars and a hefty fine.

French Soldier Shoots Machete-Wielding Attacker Near The Louvre
French Soldier Shoots Machete-Wielding Attacker Near The Louvre

French Soldier Shoots Machete-Wielding Attacker Near The Louvre

Paris police say a man with two bags tried to enter the museum's shopping mall before he attacked a soldier. That's when another soldier opened fire.

LEARN MORE

The court's decision to reverse it comes the same day four people were arrested in the south of France after police found explosives and bomb-making materials in their possession. Authorities say they believe they were planning a terrorist attack.

France has been under a state of emergency since the November 2015 attacks in Paris. That next summer, another killed 80 people in the beachside town of Nice.

The French Ministry of Defense says thousands of soldiers have been patrolling landmarks and other "sensible points" throughout the country.