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French law requires pro-life web sites ‘openly state’ opposition to abortion

February 20, 2017

Under a new French law, approved last week by the National Assembly, pro-life activists could face a two-year jail sentence if they operate web sites that do not “openly state who they are, what they do, and what they want.”

The new legislation was prompted by complaints that pro-life web sites have engaged in deceptive appeals to pregnant women. Abortion advocates argued—successfully—that the sites should be required to inform readers immediately that they do not provide abortion services or referrals.

 


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  • Posted by: - Feb. 21, 2017 12:41 PM ET USA

    Some of this controversy reminds me of a similar situation in California.

  • Posted by: mclom - Feb. 21, 2017 8:47 AM ET USA

    What? Surely pro-life sites have always shown how they cannot provide abortion services?! What is this nonsence about pro-life sites not showing who they are, what they do, and what they want??

  • Posted by: jalsardl5053 - Feb. 20, 2017 9:51 PM ET USA

    Hope the French feel good about passing a quite stupid law but maybe France does have a problem with unsavory pro-life sites. Anyway, any pro-life site worthy of the name will have no problem proclaiming they are pro-life. More worrisome is any interpretation that would impact a referral process; this could, for example, shut out sites like Alternative Pregnancy (US) etc. Also worrisome is the fact that physical presence protests are barred. This could be just a Trojan horse to more restrictions

  • Posted by: bernie4871 - Feb. 20, 2017 5:59 PM ET USA

    I wonder if the French abortion providers in inform their customers “who they are, what they do, and what they want", i.e., amoral persons who end the life of a baby for money. I wonder too how many persons have seen images from that new MRI developed in Europe. The image of the child in the womb is absolutely astounding in clarity.