French law targets ‘happy slappers’

FRANCE’S Interior Ministry last night defended a new law that makes it illegal for anyone other than professional journalists to film and distribute images of real-world violence, saying judges will ensure that the measure does not infringe freedom of expression.

Critics say the law is a clumsy, if well-intentioned, effort to fight “happy slapping”, the ill-named youth fad of filming orchestrated violence and sharing the images on the web or between mobile phones. The measure, part of a broad anti-crime law championed by Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy that took effect Wednesday, will be subject to up to five years in prison and €75,000 in fines.

The new law has implications for online video sites like YouTube.