Mar 27, 2019
In Brussels, the European Parliament has approved a massive overhaul of copyright laws that critics say will bring widespread censorship to the internet. One measure would effectively tax internet sites like Google when they display snippets of copyrighted material including news articles. Another measure will likely prompt sites like YouTube to install filters that search for—and then automatically delete—uploads that are determined to be copyright violations. Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, the proposed copyright rules prompted massive protests, with more than 100,000 marching in cities across Europe over the weekend. In a statement, OpenMedia Executive Director Laura Tribe said, “Today’s vote is a major blow to the open internet. This directive positions the internet as a tool for corporations and profits—not for people.” NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden condemned the vote in a tweet, writing in German, “Never forget what they did here.”
Transition Studies 