France / Paris Court of appeal , Ordinance

Country

France

Title

France / Paris Court of appeal , Ordinance

View full Case

Year

2013

Decision/ruling/judgment date

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Incident(s) concerned/related

Incitement to violence or hatred

Related Bias motivation

Religion

Groups affected

Migrants

Court/Body type

National Court

Court/Body

Paris Court of appeal (Cour d'appel de Paris)

Key facts of the case

The Paris Court (TGI) ordered the company Twitter to communicate to plaintiffs the data in its possession in order to allow them to identify whoever contributed to the creation of clearly unlawful tweets. It also ordered Twitter to set up an easily accessible and visible device allowing any person to bring to their attention any illegal content classed as condoning crimes against humanity and inciting racial hatred. Twitter appealed this decision. One of the plaintiffs, the Union of Jewish Students of France (Union des Etudiants Juifs de France - UEJF) requested the First President of the Court of Appeal of Paris to reject the appeal on the ground that the appealed decision has not been executed.

Main reasoning/argumentation

Twitter has not executed the decision of the court of first instance to set up a specific device or to communicate the data allowing for the identification of the authors of the illegal tweets and it has not proven the impossibility of its execution or any manifestly excessive consequences attached to its provisional execution. Thus, under article 526 of the Code of civil procedure, the appeal was rejected.

Is the case related to the application of the Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia, the Racial Equality Directive?

Key issues (concepts, interpretations) clarified by the case

Whether the obligation to communicate the data allowing the identification of the authors of the illegal tweets deprive the respondent of the appeal system.

Results (sanctions, outcome) and key consequences or implications of the case

Twitter was ordered to set up an accessible and visible device to inform Twitter of illegal content and to communicate the data allowing for the identification of the authors of the illegal tweets. The Court of Appeal of Paris ordered the annulment of the appeal made by Twitter.

Key quotation in original language and its unofficial translation into English with reference details

"Si la communication des données personnelles ordonnée est irréversible, il convient de rappeler que la poursuite de l'exécution provisoire se fait aux risques et périls de celui qui la poursuit, et qu'en cas d'infirmation, il encourt une condamnation au paiement de dommages-intérêts ;… "
"Elle (la société Twitter) ne saurait prétendre être privée du double degré de juridiction du fait de l'obligation de communiquer les données permettant l'identification des auteurs des tweets illicites. "

"If the disclosure of the personal data ordered is irreversible, it should be borne in mind that the continuation of the provisional execution is carried out at the risk and peril of the person prosecuting it and that, it is liable to pay damages ; …
"It (company Twitter) can not claim to be deprived of the appeal system because of the obligation to communicate the data allowing the identification of the authors of the illegal tweets."

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