In March, we started unveiling what is surrounding the Orwellian project
"Smart City™" in Marseille. But, as it turns out, Marseille is but a tree hiding the forest, as predictive policing and police surveillance centers boosted by Big Data tools are proliferating all over France. Nice is a good illustration: The city's mayor, security-obsessed Christian Estrosi, has partnered with Engie Inéo and Thalès -- two companies competing in this thriving market -- for two projects meant to give birth to the "Safe City™" in Nice. Yet, in the face of the unhindered development of these technologies meant for social control, the president of the CNIL (France's data protection agency) seems to find it urgent to... follow the situation. Which amounts to laisser-faire.