The French have been inspired by the bombings in London and Egypt to put in place a series of new anti-terrorist measures. Prime Minister de Villepan announced yesterday that the government will ask the National Assembly in August for a new law to expand video surveillance and to require ISPs and telcos to preserve email and phone data for several years. Cameras would be set up in the metro, city squares and other public places. One goal is to install 4,000 cameras in Paris buses by the end of the year. The French, who have tightly controlled the number of cameras until now, were apparently impressed by how cameras helped the British identify bombing suspects.
Another goal is to introduce biometric 'smart passports' (with a microchip) by October. This will be the precursor to a biometric national identity card (French citizens are required to have a national ID, and it doesn't provoke the complaints you see in the US or UK).
France already has tough anti-terror laws and very competent police and security forces. When Paris makes up its mind to do something in the security arena, it usually moves pretty quickly.
Link (in French)
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