European Union Votes Net Neutrality Into Law

[karloss01]

I'm not great with legislation and that so could some one clarify? In the UK ISPs are (BT in particular in my case) are blocking access to various sites (mostly torrent/download sites) and there are parties that are pushing to restrict access to porn; if this if this Net Neutrality gets voted in does that mean the UK ISPs have to unblock it all since I don't think the consumers don't get a choice in it?

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

I fail to see how cementing a network that is by its nature unrestricted causes inefficiency and restrictions.

 

[Griffolion]

Here's hoping Cameron beings Britain back into line with this directive. Since the carriers started with the censorship program (because, dear God, won't you think of the CHILDREN!?), they technically lost their MC status, and are in direct violation of the European Directive against such.

I like Britain being in the EU, because of stuff like this.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Being Canadian, I'm curious to see just how deep Stephen Harper's going to go in order to please his buddy Barry.

"Oh, the EU is being all liberal and shit? LET'S THROTTLE THEM PLEBS, USA! SQUEEZE EVERY LAST MONEYDOLLAR OUTTA DEM PIRATES, HURRKGLRKFLRLGLRK."

I wish the legislators would understand that you will never - Never with a Capital N - ever manage to fully bring the 'net into full corporate control. The Deep Web is proof of that, and it only takes one peer-to-peer exchange method that gets shot down for two more to sprout up. Some people will gladly pay fine after fine and bounce between ISPs if that means they get to keep a somewhat unrestricted access to what they enjoy.

God knows I'm afraid of the day my ISP starts fractioning its 'net access into package deals, because people like my tech-oblivious parents would swallow the bullshit "safety" warnings that would follow suit without question.

 

[dyre]

Wow, good on the EU. Maybe one day the ISP oligarchy we have in the US will lose its power and we'll get net neutrality too...

...I'll probably be a grandfather by the time that happens though

 

[Kargathia]

It would be nice if stories like this got more attention, if only so people would shut up about how the EU never does anything for them. Maybe then we'd hear fewer politicians claiming that it's an undemocratic, sovereignty violating tool for renewed German oppression and Eastern European immigration, and that membership offers nothing of value.

I am Dutch, and this is not in any of the newspapers I read today, and I've never even heard of Marietje Schaake before.
Maybe because Net Neutrality is already guaranteed by Dutch law, so only if the Eurocrats would vote against it, would it have an immediate impact on us.

Sadly the only times I hear about the EU here is when politicians try to justify new taxes by blaming it on "Brussels".

Can't say I've ever heard of Schaake before, but it definitely did get -some- attention, judging by how it took me one search query on the NOS website to find an article.

General net neutrality in The Netherlands won't change, but the clauses about roaming charges and plain-language contracts will make an impact.

I dunno, there are those that disagree with you on this one....

Spoiler

.. that tie Farage's sporting in that pic is not, by ANY definition, "snazzy". At best it's butt-ugly, at worst it'd introduce an epileptic fit whenever you'd move your eyes.

 

[Strazdas]

Looks like as slow as EU is its once again overshooting the rest of the world. Seriuosly, EU seems to be something that may actually make people believe that politics arent all bad the way they are going.

The EU, doing what the US did before the Cold War.

You mean the EU doing what US so far threw out of the court?

 

[havoc33]

It would be nice if stories like this got more attention, if only so people would shut up about how the EU never does anything for them. Maybe then we'd hear fewer politicians claiming that it's an undemocratic, sovereignty violating tool for renewed German oppression and Eastern European immigration, and that membership offers nothing of value.

I am Dutch, and this is not in any of the newspapers I read today, and I've never even heard of Marietje Schaake before.
Maybe because Net Neutrality is already guaranteed by Dutch law, so only if the Eurocrats would vote against it, would it have an immediate impact on us.

Sadly the only times I hear about the EU here is when politicians try to justify new taxes by blaming it on "Brussels".

But operators here still have the authority to block torrent sites and such. I have UPC, and I've noticed they do block a few sites.

 

[Deadcyde]

The only way they'd get slow internet with net neutrality was if the infrastructure is crap. If it's not? then no excuses fucko!

 

[alj]

"The text approved today would introduce far-reaching restrictions on traffic management, which would make an efficient management of the network almost impossible, resulting in a lower quality internet for all,"


Translation

"Our network is out of date/slow and unreliable so we want to throttle traffic so we can spend less money on improving it so we can spend that money on a gold plated lamborghini for each director."

Honestly what a load of bull how will this make a low quality internet ? Oh no all packets of 1s and 0s will be treated the same what will we do!

Now lets hope this forces virgin media in the uk to stop cashing youtube http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Up-to-120Mb-Speed/Tired-of-YouTube-buffering/td-p/1746698

They are also no longer able to "block internet traffic" does that mean that internet censorship in the UK will come to an end ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_the_United_Kingdom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Websites_blocked_in_the_United_Kingdom

 

[likalaruku]

Too bad that can't happen in the United Corporations of America.

I think that's what I'm going to start calling the USA from now on.

 

[Barbas]

Is it just me or does every picture of Nigel Farage make him look awful. I hate the bastard but every single one makes him look about one step above a chimp

I dunno, there are those that disagree with you on this one....

Spoiler

Some days, I wish the less salubrious newspapers in this country would just throw pretense out the window and print pictures like those. I would respect them more for their journalistic integrity.

(Snip).

Whatever effort that avatar took to make, it was worth it. Its amorphous nature would make Tzeentch proud!

The only way they'd get slow internet with net neutrality was if the infrastructure is crap. If it's not? then no excuses fucko!

I hear tell most places in Europe have relatively quicker and more reliable internet than what is available here. I'd guess the more populated cities are better off, partially because of, well...having to put the pieces back together.

OT: Well, news like this does make me happier to technically be living in the EU. At the moment, I doubt I'd want to settle in a lot of other places I've been to, sadly.