La Quadrature du Net

La Quadrature du Net
Name	La Quadrature du Net
Formation	2008
Type	Non-profit advocacy group
Headquarters	Paris, France
Region served	France, European Union
Focus	Digital rights, Internet freedom, copyright, privacy

La Quadrature du Net is a French non-profit advocacy group founded in 2008 that campaigns for digital rights, privacy, and freedoms on the Internet. It engages with European and national legislative processes, strategic litigation, and public campaigning to influence policies related to copyright, surveillance, and telecommunications. The organisation interacts with institutions across Europe and collaborates with civil society, academics, and technology communities.

History

Founded in 2008 by activists and contributors from the French hacker and digital civil liberties milieu, the organisation emerged amid debates over HADOPI and digital rights management in France. Early campaigns responded to legislative initiatives such as HADOPI law, Ley Sinde, and proposals from the European Commission on intellectual property reform. The group became prominent during controversies around the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, joining coalitions that included Electronic Frontier Foundation, Open Rights Group, and Access Now. La Quadrature du Net has testified before bodies including the European Parliament, engaged with the Conseil d'État (France), and coordinated responses to directives such as the EU Copyright Directive and the ePrivacy Directive.

Mission and Objectives

The organisation states objectives to defend civil liberties on the Internet, promote transparency in decision-making at institutions like the European Commission, and oppose measures it views as harmful to freedoms, including proposals from ACTA negotiators and enforcement mechanisms favored by representatives linked to SOPA and PIPA. It advocates for strong privacy safeguards in instruments such as the General Data Protection Regulation and for interoperable standards promoted by entities like the World Wide Web Consortium and Internet Engineering Task Force. The group collaborates with think tanks such as Centre for Internet and Society and academic researchers at institutions like École Polytechnique and Sciences Po to ground advocacy in legal and technical analysis.

Activities and Campaigns

La Quadrature du Net conducts public campaigns, petitions, and technical briefings targeting policymakers in venues including the European Council and the Council of the European Union. Campaigns have addressed legislation such as the Telecommunications Single Market Regulation, Net Neutrality regulation, and national measures resembling Three Strikes laws like HADOPI law. It co-organised protests and digital actions during debates on ACTA, TPP, and the EU–US Privacy Shield, and participated in platforms such as Civil Liberties Union for Europe coalitions. The organisation produces policy analyses, collaborates with media outlets like Le Monde and Libération, and works with tech communities around Linux Foundation projects and standards from IETF and W3C.

Legal Actions and Advocacy

The group engages in strategic litigation and administrative challenges before institutions including the Conseil d'État (France) and the European Court of Human Rights. Legal interventions have contested provisions in laws influenced by enforcement regimes promoted in discussions at the World Intellectual Property Organization and responses to directives enacted by the European Parliament. It files amicus curiae briefs and coordinates with litigants and organisations such as Reporters Without Borders, Privacy International, and national associations like Association for Progressive Communications in jurisprudential contests over surveillance, data retention, and intermediary liability. Advocacy extends to participation in stakeholder consultations for instruments like the ePrivacy Regulation and submissions to the European Data Protection Board.

Structure and Funding

Operated as an association with volunteer contributors, researchers, and a core coordination team, the organisation partners with NGOs including Electronic Frontier Foundation and Open Knowledge Foundation. Funding sources have included membership contributions, donations, and grants from foundations aligned with digital rights work such as Open Society Foundations and philanthropic actors engaged in Internet governance. The group has received in-kind support from tech communities and cooperated with academic institutions such as University of Paris researchers for policy papers. Governance combines collective decision-making with a steering committee and working groups that liaise with bodies like European Digital Rights and national civil liberties organisations.

Criticism and Controversies

La Quadrature du Net has faced criticism from supporters of stringent intellectual property enforcement, including industry groups like International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and lobbying organisations aligned with publishers and audiovisual producers such as European Publishers Council. Critics have accused the organisation of prioritising libertarian positions and aligning with hacker cultures represented by actors like Anonymous (group), and of deploying controversial online campaigning tactics that drew responses from political actors in France and at the European Parliament. Debates over funding transparency involved scrutiny from media outlets including Le Figaro and commentators associated with think tanks such as Institute for Information, Law and Society.

Category:Civil liberties organizations