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EU to ISP:s: Scan and censor everything

By on March 26, 2017 in Big Brother, Big Entertainment, Big Media, Censorship, Copyright, EU, Free Information, Freedom of Speech, Intellectual Property, Internet, Privacy

Under the extreme rules proposed by the Commission in the Copyright Directive, uploads to the internet would need to be scanned to assess if any photo, video or text that is being uploaded can be “identified” based on information provided by copyright holders. This would block, for example, memes that include copyrighted images or videos, parody, quotation and other perfectly harmless activities.

In order to encourage internet companies to monitor and delete information as thoroughly as possible, it is also proposed that their legal liability for uploads would be increased.

EDRi: EU moves one step closer to the world’s worst internet filtering law »

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EU vs. social media on consumer rights

By on March 17, 2017 in EU, social media

It is not acceptable that EU consumers can only call on a court in California to resolve a dispute. Nor can we accept that users are deprived of their right to withdraw from an online purchase. Social media companies also need to take more responsibility in addressing scams and fraud happening on their platforms.

• Reuters: EU authorities demand changes from Facebook, Google, Twitter »
• Engadget: EU orders Facebook and Google to prevent consumer scams »

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Mixed signals from the EU on Bitcoin and virtual currencies

By on March 17, 2017 in Anonymity, Big Brother, Bitcoin, Blockchain, EU, Privacy

The past year, there have been very mixed signals about Bitcoin and virtual currencies from the EU. They range from the opinion that it is too early to regulate, as we cannot tell how they will develop – to demands for mandatory registration of all players and all transactions.

This piece might give you a picture of the current state of the debate: EU Parliament states Virtual Currencies cannot be anonymous »

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Stop the EU censorship machine!

By on March 13, 2017 in Big Entertainment, Big Media, Censorship, Civil rights, Copyright, EU, Free Information, Internet

EDRi has signed a joint open letter together with 27 other civil society organisations expressing concerns about European Commission’s copyright proposal. The proposal requires internet platforms to use automated upload filtering technologies. This obligation would impact negatively on free speech and democracy by building a system where citizens will face internet platforms blocking the upload of their content, even if it is a perfectly legal use of copyrighted content.

EDRi: Civil society urges EU institutions to stop the “censorship machine” in the copyright proposal »

Also, read » Copyright Directive: Lead MEP partly deletes the “censorship machine” »

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The »EU Internet Forum« and transparency

By on March 9, 2017 in Censorship, EU, Freedom of Speech, Internet, Rule of law, social media, Transparency

How the EU set up a private-public forum to censor the Internet – and denied EDRi access to documents, as it would expose the bureaucracy’s »decision-making process«.

Which pretty much is the whole idea. You should not have extrajudicial censorship, especially not without democratic accountability.

EDRi: The tale of the fight for transparency in the EU Internet Forum »

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Is the idea of an EU »link tax« finally dead?

By on March 8, 2017 in Big Media, Censorship, Copyright, EU, Free Information, Intellectual Property, Internet, Link wars, Media

Just in, regarding the EU Copyright package:

It seems as if the rapporteur in the European Parliament has killed off the proposed EU »link tax« (art. 11) and the demand for ISP:s to filter and censor user generated content (art. 13).

Julia Reda: MEP: European Parliament poised to reject EU copyright expansion plans »

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Link tax, fake news and alternative media

By on March 2, 2017 in Big Media, Copyright, disruptive, EU, Free Information, Internet, Link wars, Media

I don’t get it.

The proposed EU »link tax« (charging people and platforms who are linking to a news site) is a backward idea. It will lead to fewer readers and reduced revenues for Big Media, not more money.

Aside from that, Big Media and politicians are at war with what they call »fake news«. (As it turns out, it might be more of a war against new and alternative media – to stamp out competition.)

But assuming that fake news is a real problem – then it makes the link tax even more incomprehensible.

Alt-right media, troll sites, racist web publications, civil rights activists, oppositional web media, citizen journalists, bloggers, satirists… – all but Big Media will probably opt out from (or not be included in) the link tax, as they want people to visit their sites and publications.

To put it in the simplest possible terms: A link tax will steer the public away from mainstream media – and to the very same alternative media that is accused of providing fake news.

I don’t get the logic, if any.

/ HAX

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The latest on EU »link tax«

By on March 1, 2017 in Big Media, Copyright, EU, Free Information, Intellectual Property, Internet, Link wars, Media

On 24 February 2017 the Rapporteur of the European Parliament (EP) Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), Catherine Stihler MEP, published her draft Opinion on the Copyright Directive. The Opinion sends a strong message against the most extremist parts of the European Commission’s proposal: the “censorship machine” (aka upload filter) proposal in Article 13 and the suggestion to expand the “ancillary copyright ” (aka “link tax”), that failed so miserably in Germany and Spain to every country of the EU.

EDRi: A positive step forward against the “censorship machine” in the Copyright Directive »

Julia Reda, Pirate MEP: New copyright study shows fundamental flaws in EU Commission plans for upload surveillance »

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EU tech still used to suppress democracy

By on February 23, 2017 in Big Brother, Civil liberties, Civil rights, EU, Global Politics, Human rights

In order to prevent dictatorships from abusing European technology to crack down on political opposition, the EU started regulating the export of surveillance technology a few years ago. But that has far from stopped the exports to problematic countries, a cross-border investigation reveals.

A problem is that non-democratic countries use European standard configurated IT-systems – that have mass surveillance functions as a default feature.

Information.dk: Europe’s exports of spy tech to authoritarian countries revealed »

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