Members of the European Parliament want €20 million to fight internet censors
Written on August 5, 2008 – 6:47 pm
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
Eight members of the European Parliament are pretty fed up with Internet censors like the Chinese government and some obscure dictators. In a proposal for a new European guideline - EU Global Online Freedom Act, representatives from Sweden, Holland, the UK, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, Austria, and Germany ask for a black list of countries that can’t stop themselves from censoring web content.
They believe every citizen has the right to publish information and opinions. Whenever their government violates this human right, the EU should punish these countries with export sanctions. Moreover, European tech companies won’t be allowed to supply software and hardware to support censorship practices.
The eight politicians also believe in a pro-active approach. Therefor, they asked for a yearly budget of €20 million to develop software that visualizes and promotes digital human rights.
I’m glad these European representatives make an effort to battle Internet censors. Especially since China, world’s next super power, keeps pumping money in their censorship efforts. China is even paying commenters to say the ‘right’ thing. Many diplomats expect China to start exporting their advanced firewall.
On the other hand, will the EU be brave enough to punish China for censoring online content? In the end, I’m afraid, the economic benefits will rule out the ethical ones. No country can’t afford to ignore, let alone punish, China.
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censorship, china, EU, European Parliament, european union, Human rights, Member of the European Parliament, politics
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By Ni on Aug 6, 2008
They shouldn’t block china economically, but blocking the whole internet from them instead… If they don’t won’t their people to see pages, fine, but they won’t see any… get my point?
You state that China is the next superpower… HA HA HA !!!
Out of all the 4 BRIC-countries it is the least potential.
people are undereducated, plainly dumb, lack of hygiene,…
It will take at least one generation to get them to a point to compete with europe.
the only danger is that they could have 1.4billion people behind one idea. If they could manipulate their inhabitants (freely) to work/fight/… for the greater cause, I would be f***cking scared!!!! But for now, these self-centered bastards only think about sleep, rice & extra dollar…
Nicolas,
Writing off his anger from Zhuhai, China
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By Ni on Aug 6, 2008
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By kim on Aug 6, 2008
Censorship of the media and the Internet helps repressive regimes conceal human rights abuses – in China it means execution statistics remain a state secret, important news events go unreported, historical events aren’t taught in schools and people whose rights have been violated are frightened into silence.
I believe the internet should be a vehicle for freedom not repression. People have the right to seek and receive information and to express their peaceful beliefs online without fear or inference.
Sign Amnesty International’s pledge - at http://action.uncensor.com.au/pledge/ -
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By Nicki Brøchner on Aug 17, 2008
Wait are you serious?
First of all if the EU decides to implement export sanctions against ”Bad Censor Countries” it will only hurt EU based companies that will be banned from potential big markets. Since we are talking both software and hardware it means that ever single companies within the EU that are in the marked of computers will not be able to sell to the middle east, china, India with is one of the biggest markets in the business.
Now if we for a second don’t look at the economics of this, then what about the ethics? Why is it Europe’s job to teach the “Bad Censor Countries” how to conduct them self? And how can it be ethical to punish the people of those countries by pressing prices of hardware and software? And why should I pay the bill for this? Since I am a EU citizen I will be paying for the Information campaign that I can tell you in advance will not chance anything what so ever.
So no there is nothing to be glad about, yes censoring the Internet is bad but this “solution” is just making a bad situation even worse.
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