Paris - France has passed a law making it a crime for citizens to post videos depicting real-world violence to the Internet, except if they are professional journalists, the Associated Press reported.

The legislation was in part a reaction to the phenomenon of "happy slapping," a pastime where mostly teenagers film one another slapping, or in some cases physically or sexually assaulting innocent persons -- although French police told AP they have discovered only about 20 such videos online.

Those who violate the new French law are subject to up to five years in jail and $100,000 in fines.

"The sections of this law supposedly dealing with 'happy slapping' in fact have a much broader scope," the journalists' advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said in a statement.

"Posting videos online showing violence against people could now be banned, even if it were the police carrying out the violence."

Related Links:
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,72895-0.html (AP)

http://www.rsf.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_slapping