Euromoguls want to restrict the Internet into "packages"

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It looks like governments and corporations can't stand the idea that anyone can see any page on the Internet. Imagine: e-mails flying back and forth. Message boards. Blogs. Facebook. Buddy-finding services. All this outside the control of governments and corporations - as far as that is even at all possible (given that those sites are mostly corporately owned and run). Now the proposed legislation wants to enable ISP's to pick which services you get or even which sites you get to watch. Apart from restricting our access to the Internet, that will also hurt the owners of the sites that won't be included in the package.

What I am fearing here, in the long run, will be another closure of borders between various states, in which they will be able to prevent any flow of information and force the citizens to rot inside. All this so that the government can play Sims on us and so that corporations get their way - as their biggest enemy is anything that comes for free without providing them with monetary gain.

For a longer time now, the Internet has been a medium of autonomy for the people. Little government control. Little corporate dictate. Unrestricted access to friends. Ability to find tons of services and resources that one would never normally get to know about. Thus even a small local business could indeed go global. Now all the power is to go to the middlemen, who will dictate what we see and what we don't. Should they agree that some sites should not be seen by all, they won't be. After all, what will be the platform for protest for an Internet-based venture if they cut off the Internet in the first place?

So down with that. Write to your MEP. Sign a petition if you want one. Don't give in.

http://www.blackouteurope.eu/

 

This is the anti-piracy lobby at work, the same people, the same corporations and the main reason why I have no sympathy for them. Hollering about theft and piracy is just a cover to erode the freedom of openness of the internet. I think this is the first time I am abundantly positive to anything you post chev.

 

Can you tell me what the legal situations in your respective countries is? I do not know of any law in Bulgaria that says that online providers are obliged to give full and unrestricted access in their service, but I am not familiar with our legal base. EU laws should, at present, be based on directive 2000/31/EC which the article references. The directive is available online here, but it's taking me a while to process... The thing is, since it's a directive and not a regulation, member states can put it in their own legislation however they want as long as the end effect is close enough to what was intended.

 

hehe my impression of the EU is a bureaucratic monster. This is a terrible idea... Even discussing such a restriction of Freedom should put Europe on those "List of countries by Freedom" way down, around 80

I assume that this will never come to pass, we can spread enough hateful propaganda against the corporation that the people will never stand for this so no worry no fears no regrest

 

If all cable corporations stick together, you're stuck with the near-extinct dial-up providers. The point is, it'll be too easy to shut you off, whether you're a surfer or a webmaster.