The law aimed at securing and regulating the digital space (SREN) was promulgated on May 24, 2024. For Bercy, it ”
marks a significant step forward in strengthening the protection of citizens, particularly minors, and online businesses .”
In April, the Assembly voted
in favor of this bill , with over 64% voting in favor. The SREN law then had to undergo some modifications to bring it into line with European law, mainly stemming from the
Digital Services Regulation (DSA) and the
Digital Markets Regulation (DMA) .
What are the impacts of the SREN law on citizens?
First and foremost, the SREN law must protect minors, and more broadly citizens, from online dangers. ” What is illegal offline must also be illegal online: this simple principle guided the European Union in deploying the DSA and the DMA ,” commented Marina Ferrari, Secretary of State for Digital Affairs, in a press release.
This includes implementing an age verification system for accessing phonographic websites, and requiring the removal of child pornography within 24 hours. Hosting providers who fail to comply risk a one-year prison sentence and a €250,000 fine.
This new law also includes a ban from social media for individuals convicted of cyberbullying, hate speech, and similar offenses. Judges can impose a sentence ranging from six months to one year of social media access. Internet users who create deepfakes that violate someone’s dignity are now liable to a fine of €75,000 and three years’ imprisonment.
The SREN law will allow the creation of a “digital citizen reserve”. It will allow volunteers to participate in prevention campaigns on online threats, or in raising awareness of responsible digital practices.
The SREN law also addresses digital technology for businesses
Secondly, the SREN law brings its share of new features for businesses.
For cloud services, it now prohibits the lock-in strategies that industry giants used to employ. These strategies primarily involve imposing prohibitive costs, particularly on the volume of data transferred, when a customer leaves one service for an equivalent one from a competitor. Major players in the sector, such as Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and AWS, have recently reversed course on these practices.
The government will also create a national network of regulators. This will allow the DGCCRF (Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control), the DGE (Directorate General for Enterprises), and others to coordinate their regulatory actions. The DGE will head this network.
The SREN law stipulates that the CNIL ( French Data Protection Authority) will be the competent authority for enforcing the DSA (Digital Security Act), supported by the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF). For the DMA (Digital Access Management Act), the Competition Authority and the Ministry of the Economy will have the authority to investigate potential breaches by access controllers. The DGCCRF may also be involved.
The law aimed at securing and regulating the digital space (SREN) must ” recreate confidence in the digital economy: move beyond naivety, secure uses and unleash innovation through healthy competition ,” Bruno Le Maire said in a statement.
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