France has passed a new law that allows the police to secretly activate the cameras, microphones, and geolocation on suspects’ phones without their knowledge. This comes in the wake of ongoing protests in the country. The law also permits the police to record sound and capture images of individuals suspected of committing terrorism, organized crime, and delinquency. However, this provision only applies to crimes with a minimum prison sentence of five years, and it requires judicial approval and can only last for a maximum of six months. Certain professions, such as doctors, journalists, lawyers, judges, and members of parliament, are exempt from this provision. An advocacy group, La Quadrature du Net, has expressed concerns about the violation of privacy and freedom of individuals if this law is implemented. These developments have occurred amid widespread protests in France sparked by the police shooting of a 17-year-old teenager named Nahel M. during a traffic stop. French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed social media platforms for contributing to the unrest, stating that protesters organized themselves using Snapchat and TikTok. Over 45,000 police officers have been deployed to suppress the protests, and more than 1,300 people have been arrested. The protests have involved acts of violence, such as throwing fireworks and projectiles at police, setting fire to buildings and vehicles, looting supermarkets, and causing multiple fires in various cities. The police officer who shot Nahel claimed it was in self-defense, fearing that he and others could be hit by the car as the teenager tried to flee the scene.