The decision of the CNIL had a liberating effect on the political and associative opponents of the Mayor of Nice.
In fact, the occasion is right to express justified criticisms (the conflation of incivility and terrorism is a misstep by Christian Estrosi) and to settle some scores.
Patrick Allemand, being a good politician, even takes the opportunity to send a message: “The conclusion of this episode is a message of hope for the future that demonstrates that, when united, the republican opposition can curb certain excesses and see the future differently.”
For the record: The Reporty application, developed in Israel by the start-up of former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, was currently being tested with 2,000 people, including city agents of Nice, neighborhood committees, and members of the “vigilant neighbors” network.
An assessment was to be made at the end of the experimental period of this initiative which, from its announcement, sparked controversy between security advocates and libertarians.
Nice, whose municipal police are the largest in France in terms of staff, is monitored by 1,950 surveillance cameras, a record in the country.
Patrick Allemand (Nice au Cœur): “It is a victory for individual freedoms and a new disapproval for Christian Estrosi, showing his limitations.
This permanent stance, this tendency to always want to be right against everyone, the Council of State, the administrative tribunal, the investigating commissioner, the CNIL, and the citizens, is becoming exasperating.”
Robert Injey (PCF): “A decision that is not surprising given the excesses that could result from the implementation of such an application. A decision that, unsurprisingly, has sparked fierce anger from the Mayor of Nice, who, with his characteristic sense of proportion, declares that ‘It is the terrorists and those who want to undermine our democracy who benefit from this decision.’
Xavier Garcia (PS): “Besides yet another waste of public money while municipal and metropolitan finances are in the red, this lamentable affair will remain an irrational headlong rush that led the Mayor of Nice to mix everything up and equate the fight against incivilities with the fight against terrorism. And it is not by creating a paranoia society, where everyone would monitor everyone else, that we will defeat terrorists. It would even be a way to concede our defeat.
David Nakache (Tous Citoyens): We claim victory and will do so every time a new attempt to promote suspicion and surveillance of everyone against everyone is repelled. The Mayor of Nice also makes a serious accusation by declaring that this decision by the CNIL will benefit terrorists. He is now clearly stirring up the fear of attacks while this application was supposed to combat mere incivilities. The protection of citizens and the reflection on our security system deserve much more than these hasty accusations.
