Labeling the opposing point to France's very strict defamation rules cannot be termed "ultra-liberal, privacy-be-damned" really. It has been pointed out that th

Labeling the opposing point to France's very strict defamation rules cannot be termed "ultra-liberal, privacy-be-damned" really. It has been pointed out that this state of affairs has led to many criminal/politically harmful events to be widely known. One of the best known in recent memory was the DSK affair (http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/d-s-k-french-lives-french-laws http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/d-s-k-french-lives-f...). Although his rapist past was well-known is some circles through informal gossip, the victims were never able to declare so in public due to threat of these strict laws. More on this sordid affair here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/26/dominique-strauss-kahn-book-ban-court-rules_n_2768578.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/26/dominique-strauss-k... Many more examples can be provided.