French parliament to vote on bill granting police controversial new surveillance powers

A demonstrator holds a placard that reads: "I am on Record", during a gathering at Invalides, Paris, to protest against the emergency government surveillance law, Monday, May 4, 2015. France's lower house of parliament will vote on a controversial draft law expanding the government's surveillance powers, in response to terrorist attacks in January. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) (The Associated Press)

Demonstrators hold placards reading "Stop to Mass Surveillance", and "Members of Parliament Protect our Freedom", during a gathering at Invalides, Paris, to protest against the emergency government surveillance law, Monday, May 4, 2015. France's lower house of parliament will vote on a controversial draft law expanding the government's surveillance powers, in response to terrorist attacks in January. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) (The Associated Press)

A demonstrator holds a placard that reads: "Stop to Mass Surveillance", during a gathering at Invalides, Paris, to protest against the emergency government surveillance law, Monday, May 4, 2015. France's lower house of parliament will vote on a controversial draft law expanding the government's surveillance powers, in response to terrorist attacks in January. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) (The Associated Press)

France's parliament is to vote on a bill aimed at legalizing broad surveillance of terrorism suspects that has drawn an outcry from privacy advocates and others.

One of the most sensitive measures of the bill would allow intelligence services to vacuum up metadata, which would then be subject to analysis for potentially suspicious behavior. The metadata would be anonymous, but intelligence agents could follow up with a request to the independent panel for deeper surveillance that could yield the identity of users.

The bill that goes to parliament Tuesday was proposed long before January's attacks by Islamic extremists. But the bill's sponsors say it takes on added urgency with each person who is radicalized.

Opponents say it legalizes highly intrusive surveillance methods without guarantees for individual freedom and privacy.