In upcoming Spanish law, you can’t use the Internet without an ID
The latest draft of Spain’s controversial anti-terrorism measure Citizen Security Bill has been hit by critics once again, this time for a provision asking for stricter monitoring of Internet cafés.
Under article 24 of the draft bill, Internet café operators will be required to note down their clients’ national identity numbers (DNI) before they can avail of the café’s services. The same rule will be applied to shops that give phone services called locutorios.
The Internet access of clients who do not provide their DNIs will be blocked. Meanwhile, cafes and locutorios that do not follow the rule will be given a fine of €30,000.
Online newspaper El Confidencial reported that the provision was included in a bid to toughen up the fight versus terrorism.
The Citizen Security Bill has been unpopular among many sectors in Spain since late last year. However, Spain’s Interior Minister Jorge Fernández Díaz insisted that such a law could ‘strengthen the guarantee of public liberties and security.’
Among the unpopular provisions of the bill include its anti-protest measures, criminalising the burning of the national flag and the monitoring of users of public WiFi networks.