The European open internet is under imminent threat. BLACKOUT EUROPE

[BladePHF]

OK, for those of you wondering, here are some more sites and citations for those who don't believe this to be true. Dunno about the main site, maybe traffic from here just killed it, lol:

Proposals before the EU parliament to limit access to the internet across Europe are to be voted on very soon.

If passed, the new law will permit your broadband provider to impose "conditions limiting access to and/or use of services and applications". Downloading via P2P will almost certainly be forbidden, and blacklists and whitelists are on the hidden agenda, but the proposals also covers copyright enforcement (3-strikes) and risk permitting sinister forms of filtering the networks. They threaten fundamental freedoms for everyone who uses the Internet and anyone who has a website.

These proposals, wrapped up in a series of European Directives which form the 'Telecoms Package', are contrary to our fundamental rights as laid down in articles 7, 8,11 and 16 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

We call on Members of the European Parliament who will vote on the Telecoms Package, and we additionally call on the Council of Ministers who have joint legislative responsibility for it:

We demand:
the removal of all references to limitations, restrictions, or conditions of use or access to networks, content, applications and services.

that all measures related to copyright enforcement, 3-strikes and content filtering are rejected.

that measures related to traffic data shall protect our right to surf the web in privacy.

that the telecoms market is regulated for the citizen's interests, and especially:

**a guarantee of open access to all content, services and applications.

** safeguards for users against disproportionate sanctions for downloading and content filtering are reinstated.

Please stop the hijackng of the Internet by big business.

News on the Telecoms Package is available here:
http://www.laquadrature.net/en

To read the Telecoms Package proposals, go here:
http://www.laquadrature.net/lawtracks/telecoms_package/

The Second Reading amendments which will be voted by the European Parliament on 31 March and again on 5th May, are here:
http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Telecoms_Package_2nd_Reading_ITRE_IMCO_Draft_Amendments#Amendment_85_--_2

An exhaustive, visually effective and easy to understand analysis of the amended Directives by Prof. Dr. Monica Horten is available here:
http://www.scambioetico.eu/telecoms.package.diagrams.m.horten.5.april.2009.zip

Or you can look at the European Parliament's own website, which is less easy to follow:

Framework, access and authorisation directive
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/FindByProcnum.do?lang=2&procnum=COD/2007/0247

Universal services and e-Privacy directive
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/FindByProcnum.do?lang=2&procnum=COD/2007/0248

An alternative proposal that we like is here:

http://www.npt.no/iKnowBase/Content/109604/Guidelines%20for%20network%20neutrality.pdf
as a fair and equitable basis for all internet communications.

For independent information try:

(In English) http://www.iptegrity.com

(In German) http://netzpolitik.org/?s=telekom+paket

(In Italian)
http://punto-informatico.it/2585021/PI/News/non-lasciare-che-rete-diventi-tv.aspx

http://punto-informatico.it/2593665/PI/News/pacchetto-telecom-blackout-europeo.aspx

(In French) http://www.ecrans.fr/+-internet-+.html

Invite! Invite! Invite!

Campaign supported by:

La Quadrature du Net
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12663398659

Open Rights Group
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Open-Rights-Group/73607375435

Ireland Offline
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=69474680930

Associazione Scambio Etico
http://www.scambioetico.eu/index.php?topic=673.msg3637#msg3637

== What's next? ==
It appears the next stage of voting on the Telecoms Package is:

- 21 April: ITRE vote

- 5 May: Plenary vote

== What can you do to help? ==
Write to your Member of the European Parliament (see discussion board for details).
Talk to your friends, family, work colleagues - so that they too can write to their MEPs.
Write on blogs, forums and social networks.

 

[Mardy]

Fuck this, I'll make my own country.
Who wants to help me invade a pre-existing country so I can take it over?

Sure, as long as I get to be a officer of the Max army. Or what it's called.

 

[Doug]

Erm, I hate to ask this, BUT, if this is true, why don't get give the law name, reference number, etc, etc. And why would a law of such extreme importance not be on the major news networks? I mean, if only to rant about 'DAMN BUSSELS TRYING TO KILL OUR FREEDOMS AGAIN' (I'm looking at you newspaper rags). Or on blogs, etc. Plus, when I look at the link, it says '509 error - bandwidth limit exceeded'

 

[Cid Silverwing]

At the time of posting, OP has only 27 posts. Credibility = Seriously low.

Also, linked site keeps 509'ing.

 

[FallToYourDeath]

If that happens, I'm going to move westwards.

I second that.

 

[XJ-0461]

Fuck this, I'll make my own country.
Who wants to help me invade a pre-existing country so I can take it over?

If it means no censorship on the internet, then I'm with you.

 

[Doug]

At the time of posting, OP has only 27 posts. Credibility = Seriously low.

Also, linked site keeps 509'ing.

Agreed

 

[TheGreenManalishi]

Vote against! This sounds like the age of control in MGS4.

When the internet is kept under control, flame wars... become routine.

 

[Avatar Roku]

Wow...just wow. It wouldn't really effect me, as I only really visit Yahoo, Youtube, GameTrailers, and of course the Escapist, but still. If the site were functioning, I'd go there and do what I could. I'll come back later and see what I can do.

 

[Barraquda]

If that happens, I'm going to move westwards.

Westwards it is, Norway here I come!!

 

[BladePHF]

I posted new links to more credible sources. Scroll up to see.

 

[theklng]

i clicked on the link only to see that it wasn't available. oh, irony.

 

[Avatar Roku]

If that happens, I'm going to move westwards.

Ah, so now the rubber band is on the other claw! You don't need America until the internet is censored.

(please note, that was half a joke, half a Futurama reference)

 

[DigitalSushi]

Taken from the site http://blackouteurope.eu/ . Welcome to the beginning of the end:
Visit the site for more on what you can do to help stop this amendment from passing.

mmmm ok, visit the site shall I? , right ok, *clicks link*

Bandwidth Limit Exceeded
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to the site owner reaching his/her bandwidth limit. Please try again later.
Apache/2.2.10 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.10 OpenSSL/0.9.7a mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 Server at blackouteurope.eu Port 80

HAHAHAHAH, fuck it, I love doing the irony,

Irony is when you take creases out of your clothes right?

 

[cuddly_tomato]

Pffft.

If they go through with this I just cancel my internet connection. Simple.

 

[Andalusa]

Fuck this, I'll make my own country.
Who wants to help me invade a pre-existing country so I can take it over?

Pick me!!!

 

[DigitalSushi]

Fuck this, I'll make my own country.
Who wants to help me invade a pre-existing country so I can take it over?

Sure, as long as I get to be a officer of the Max army. Or what it's called.

take over France, we surrender pretty easily.

 

[razer17]

when i see this is on BBC, Observer, Guardian or other properly reputable site (i.e one i have actually heard of) i will believe this. also as someone else said the law name and reference number, because all proposed laws are online these days, so a simple link to the plans would prove all.

 

[Resistance205]

What!? That's just stupid! They can't really restrict our internet access...can they?

Shit, this is really bad. I wish i could vote against it