Here we go again folks, it seems when the front door is locked firmly to monopoly-enforcing media giants, the back door looks a great place to do a few anti-consumer deals.
http://www.zeropaid.com/news/9611/ISPs+to+Ban+P2P+with+New+European+Telecom+Package%3FAn new European-wide package for ISPs has been discussed before, but new amendments could turn European Internet Service Providers into copyright police. Perhaps the only good news out of this is that network neutrality activism may get a new boost in Europe.
The disturbing report comes right out of todays posting on EDRI.org, a European Digital rights activism website.
From EDRI:
"Some amendments will transform the ISPs from technical intermediaries that have no obligation to prior surveillance of contents into law enforcers. Therefore they might be asked to block their users from lawful activities in the interests of their security or to work with content producers and rights-holders' organizations, including sending intimidating messages, with no judicial approval. The amendment meant to support Intellectual Property Rights owners could open the door to censorship and might mean in practice the loss on privacy on the Internet.
"The politicians who engage in these summer manoeuvres dishonour Europe and their mandate. They rely on the fact that nobody watches them few days before Parliamentary holiday, to divert the Telecom package from its primary objectives of consumer protection. They pave the way for the monitoring and filtering of the Internet by private companies, exceptional courts and Orwellian technical measures. It is inconceivable for freedom but also for European economic development. We call on all MEPs to oppose what they have already rejected." said Christophe Espern, co-founder of La Quadrature du Net (Squaring the Net).
The appeal of the three organisations comes just before the 7 July vote in the ITRE and IMCO Committees of the European Parliament on the suggested amendments to the telecom package. The plenary discussion and vote for the whole package will take place in September, but the vote in the two committees could have a significant impact on the final result. "
As usual folks now would be a good time to contact your member of the EU parliament to let them know our rights are not to be given away to fat cat commercial interest groups.
Any new EU wide proposals should not be sneaked in by the back door, to even attempt these sort of underhand and anti-democratic activities does lead to the conclusion that perhaps an investigation into those pushing for them is in order, democracy is a cornerstone of our civilisation, those attempting to abuse that process to enrich themselves should be sanctioned.
