According to the New York Times, France's Constitutional Council has all but gutted the country's new three strikes law, which would have forced ISPs to kick heavy P2P users from the Internet. The Council, which checks laws for adherence to French constitutional principles before passing them, found that the assumption of guilt and the termination of Internet connectivity violated French citizen rights. Consumer advocacy firm Public Knowledge issued a statement saying the ruling sends a "persuasive signal to media moguls around the world that this type of policy is unacceptable."