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European 'internet freedom' law agreed
News Within the next six weeks, the EU Parliament and Council will need to formally vote through the agreed text of the internet-freedom provision. Europe is set to get a major overhaul of its telecoms regulation, after the European Parliament and...
[November 5, 2009, 12:11]
France passes controversial antipiracy bill
News The European Parliament also adopted an amendment that said, "internet access is a fundamental right such as the freedom of expression and the freedom to access information. European Parliament and approved its "Création et Internet" three-strikes...
[May 13, 2009, 11:06]
Software patents make a mockery of European ideals
Leader Whole countries opposed it, its proponents couldn't explain it, and its own parliament called for it to be completely reconsidered. Barring an exceptional parliamentary earthquake, the Computer Implemented Inventions Directive will be rubber...
[March 7, 2005, 12:35]
EC: New net-neutrality law is unnecessary
News Amendment 138/46 was added at the last minute to the package, which was subsequently voted through in its entirety by the European Parliament at the start of May. The Council met on Thursday to discuss what to do about the Telecoms Package, but...
[June 12, 2009, 16:17]
EU lawmakers vote to introduce net neutrality
News The European Parliament has voted through a massive tranche of reforms for the European telecommunications sector, including a significant net-neutrality amendment. I welcome the European Parliament's strong endorsement of the reform of the EU...
[May 6, 2009, 17:10]
Democracy?
Talkback The government, supposedly under the supervision of Parliament, has become arrogant and oppressive with little or no regard to the people it supposedly is working for. For many years our ancestors fought, and many died, for freedom from oppression...
[November 6, 2008, 14:50]
The mutation of Europe's 'internet freedom' law
Blog Here's the original Amendment 138/46 (.pdf; see page 41), voted through by the European Parliament in May, but rejected by the Council of Telecoms Ministers: no restriction may be imposed on the fundamental rights and freedoms of end-users...
[November 5, 2009, 14:18]
Twitter, Trafigura, trends and treason
Blog That the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament;" As the paper put it: "The Guardian is also forbidden from telling its readers why the paper is...
[October 13, 2009, 14:03]
Linspire boss urges Dutch government to go open source
News In 2002 the parliament unanimously voted for a proposal dubbed 'motion Vendrik' that would let government institutions use open standards by 2006. Large government projects are required to be open to all, says Bits of Freedom, a digital civil...
[December 15, 2004, 14:30]
UN attacks tech giants over China co-operation
News Catherine Trautmann, France's former minister of culture and a current Socialist member of the European Parliament, took issue with "market laws that are considered more important than freedom of expression".
[November 1, 2006, 9:42]
Peer proposes data super-watchdog
News This would solve a number of problems, said the peer, including the situation whereby the surveillance commissioner is primarily accountable to the Home Office, and then to parliament. It's wrong that the surveillance commissioner reports to the...
[September 5, 2008, 14:15]
UK gets its own official Pirate Party
News Similar parties elsewhere have won election victories: the Swedish Pirate Party gained a seat in the European parliament in May, while the German Pirate Party has an elected MP. The Pirate Party UK intends to campaign before the next general...
[August 13, 2009, 15:59]
French seek mandatory registration for Net publishing
News Web users in France who want to publish online will have to register their intent with the government, if a bill being considered by French Parliament this week is passed. Others have damned the Bill as a serious infringement to online freedom of...
[May 25, 2000, 16:50]
Dutch MPs fight Microsoft deal
News The MPs asked how this deal could be in agreement with the parliament's previous decision to move the whole government to open source and open standards by 2006. This decision, initially proposed in a motion by Green Party MP Kees Vendrik, was...
[December 13, 2004, 13:50]
Oxford University targeted by MPAA
News All the protection that exists under acts of parliament is against copying, while the DeCSS decrypts. It is a breach of freedom of expression and freedom of speech," he says. While we support freedom of speech," reads the statement.
[May 19, 2000, 16:03]
Reding: Help tech firms not help repressive regimes
Blog Viviane Reding, the European commissioner on techie stuff, has given a very interesting speech to a plenary session of the European Parliament, in which she discussed how best to get European companies to avoid helping repressive regimes censor...
[February 5, 2009, 16:00]
Former ICO head urges data-protection 'step change'
News Thomas argued that legislation currently before parliament to create the power to inspect public bodies is "seriously deficient without a sanction for those who ignore the so-called requirements and without extending our powers so we can also...
[July 8, 2009, 9:03]
Can you expect human rights online?
News Akdeniz suggests that the government was keen to rush the RIP Act through Parliament so that it would not appear more controversial. When the RIP Act passed through parliament in the UK MPs had to sign a statement, stating that the act complies...
[October 5, 2000, 15:09]
Echelon: Sigint under the spotlight
News But it drew little attention until a 1997 European Parliament report highlighted new revelations about Echelon in a book published in New Zealand the year before. The European Parliament has continued to debate the issue.
[June 30, 2000, 9:35]
Greek government backs down on gaming
News On 13 September the ISFE sent a letter to the Greek prime minister, Kostas Simitis, and to the president of the Greek Parliament, Apostolos Kaklamanis, based on what it says is independent legal analysis.
[September 25, 2002, 11:05]
