AfterDawn: News

France will fine you $99,000 for tweeting election data

Until 8PM today, French politicians and citizens are forced to remain quiet, by law, about the presidential race.

The candidates can not give speeches or interviews, distribute fliers or update their campaign Web sites or Facebook pages, says the NYT.



Media outlets, citizens, or anyone else in France are also banned from publishing any data, including exit polls. Anyone caught doing so can be fined 75,000 euros/$99,000 USD.

Of course, the polls and other data have been released on Twitter and elsewhere since the quiet period began on Friday. French president Sarkozy has been a critic of the outdated laws, as well, saying: "We're not going to prohibit people from going on the site of The New York Times to learn the results. Are we going to put up a digital border? Are we going to jam computers? What world are we living in, ultimately?"

The results will be released tonight in France.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 22 Apr 2012 14:17

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• 6 comments

• ROMaster2

  This is DEFINITELY not rigged in ANY way.

  22.4.2012 14:33 #1

• jeff_2

  LOL! ROMaster2 that's exactly what I was thinking. To be honest its quite disconcerting that a country so developed is restricting information of that nature. I mean how in the world could anyone justify that...
  

  Due to copyright issues I am sorry to say I am no longer Batman : (

  22.4.2012 14:46 #2

• dali

  Jeff, no one can justify that, but it's the sad truth. And it should not shock anyone, since politicians are doing dumb stuff like that all the time.
  
  Of course, these kind of measures are not only useless, but a provocation to behave otherwise and mock on them in so many ways:
  
  http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/23/fre...lan-references/
  
  http://www.france24.com/en/20120422-fru...d-war-two-codes
  
  ...
  

  "You know, it seems that quotes on the internet are becoming less and less reliable." -Abraham Lincoln.

  23.4.2012 13:54 #3

• dEwMe

  France...lol
  
  

  Just my $0.02,
  
  dEwMe

  23.4.2012 14:23 #4

• aeonstorm

  I guess they don't have freedom of speech and press. those politician have nothing or something important to do. On top of that that type policy comes close to opresion and fear if the government keeps up like that they might end up with a civil revolution, lol
  

  24.4.2012 19:47 #5

• dali

  A global revolution is what we all need. The sooner the better
  

  "You know, it seems that quotes on the internet are becoming less and less reliable." -Abraham Lincoln.

  25.4.2012 06:02 #6