There's an interesting new law in France that deals with data retention by ISPs and other web hosts. Interestingly enough, it defines web host as "the natural or legal persons that provide, even gratuitously, for provision of public services to the public online communication, storage signals, writings, images, sounds or messages of any kind provided by recipients of these services. ". It doesn't come right out and say, but it looks like if you allow the creation of online content, or the sharing of such content from within France, you need to keep this information. More Information: Application of article 6 II of the LCEN Enforcement Decree of the LCEN on data retention by ISPs and hosters "Digital Crime The following is the Google Translation from here . On 1 st March 2011 was published in the Official Journal Decree No. 2011-219 of 25 February 2011 on the conservation and communication of data to identify any person involved with the creation of an online