IN THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS ON JUNE 6TH DO NOT VOTE TO THE PARTIES WHICH WANT TO GIFT OUR RIGHT OF ACCESS TO THE INTERNET TO PRIVATE INTERESTS.

The Black Out Europe campaign reminds us that European internet freedoms are still at risk, and to use the upcoming European elections for supporting candidates in favour of such freedoms.

Here is a graphic that analyses the votes of EU parliamentarians on the issue.

Digital Europe has designed a questionnaire you can send to your representatives so that you can identify their positions on internet freedoms.

Excerpt:

“The internet as we know it is at risk. The new rules in the EU (the Telecoms package) voted on May 6 and will be negotiated again in Autumn propose that broadband providers will be legally able to limit the number of websites you can look at, and to tell you whether or not you are allowed to use particular services. It will be dressed up as ‘new consumer options’ which people can choose from. People will be offered TV-like packages – with a limited number of options for you to access. It means that the Internet will be packaged up and your ability to access and to put up content could be severely restricted. It will create boxes of Internet accessibility, which don’t fit with the way we use it today.

It means that the Internet will be packaged up and your ability to access and to put up content could be severely restricted. It will create boxes of Internet accessibility, which don’t fit with the way we use it today.

This is because Internet is now permitting exchanges between persons which cannot be controlled or “facilitated” by any middlemen (the State or a corporation). This possibility improves citizen’s life and makes access to knowledge easier to everyone, but force the industry (telecommunications, entertainment…) to lose power and control. Access providers have now learned that controlling access they can control the Information Society development. That is why they are pushing to act those changes.

The excuse is to promote competition, offering choices to users which better fit their behavior on the Internet and, by collaborating with sectors interested in the promotion of lawful content (aka the entertainment industry), to control the flow of music, films and entertainment content against the alleged piracy by downloading for free, using P2P file-sharing. However, the real victims of this plan will be all Internet users and the democratic and independent access to information, culture goods.”