Chess and French privacy issue.

A French chess player, and two confederates, have been found guilty of cheating at the recent world chess olympiad in a scheme that involved use of the Internet, use of a very strong computer chess program, use of a cell phone, as well as coded signals by the team captain (based on where he stood in the tournament room). http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12853229 A trial in front of a French chess federation tribunal with lawyers, evidence rules, etc. took place. The guilty grandmaster actually had won an award and money for his excellent performance in the tournament. As a chess player myself, the whole scenario is strange and troubling. The only good news is that a French chess federation official was brave enough to accuse her own team. But the appeals of the convicted individuals will be based, in part, on the argument that privacy rights were violated when text messages on a cell phone were looked at without permission. This dispute could provide more information about how French law handles privacy interests involving new technologies.