Evgeny Morozov - How the Net aids dictatorships, watch the keynote below
Who is Evgeny Morozov?
Writer Evgeny Morozov studies the political and social aspects of the Internet. Right now, he’s working on a book about the Internet’s role in politics — and especially how the Web influences civic engagement and regime stability in authoritarian, closed societies or in countries “in transition.”
On Tuesday, April 21st at 20:00, the ITRE report of the Telecoms Package, rapported by Catherine Trautmann, will come to a vote in the ITRE (Industry, TRansport, Energy) committee.
It may reintroduce amendment 138 (now renumbered amendment 46), a crucial safeguard of user’s rights on the Internet, and protection against the media industry private police and retribution called the “graduated response” or “three strikes” schemes. Am. 138 was approved by 88% of the European Parliament in first reading, on September 24th, 2008.
Yet rapporteur Catherine Trautmann is currently negotiating with the Council of the EU, which under the French presidency, and under very strong influence from M Sarkozy, deleted the amendment in first reading.
The Council may propose a compromise version of amendment 138/46 that is completely neutralized, or that may even become the opposite of the original by allowing the “three strikes” scheme instead of preventing it. According to the latest negotiations, am.138/46 wouldn’t anymore be an article (that must be transposed by Member States in their law) but a mere recital that has just indicative value.
From Here
