The Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) voted for Article 13.
If you haven't heard the news, on June 20, the Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) voted for the Article 13 of a new set of copyright laws. Article 13 is commonly known as a new "Censorship Machine", because it will require websites to either pay large sums of money to compensate for its users' use of copyrighted material, or install filters so that copyrighted material can't be posted on their sites.
In reality, Article 13 means that European internet users will face restrictions on their internet use in everything they do:
The Article threatens blogging platforms, video game livestreamers, discussion platforms, the sharing of memes (!), sharing parodies of copyrighted material, the ability to share links, the ability to remix, and the freedom of code sharing platforms.
Everything wrong with Article 13
However, the bill can still be stopped, as it has to pass through the European Parliament plenary next month.
If you're a citizen of the European Union, don't hesitate to e-mail or call your MEPs HERE and let them know how you feel this bill will impact your daily internet use. Tell them you want a free and open internet for all and that you won't tolerate the EU controlling your daily life.
CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST THE CENSORSHIP MACHINE
The link above will take you to a website that has a lot of resources and tips that you can use to take action against the new copyright bill.
The Rise of VPNs in Europe?
Can the new law be stopped? Although that would be ideal, we have to take into account the possibility that it passes through the EP. What then?
One option to circumvent the new laws is to browse via a VPN with an IP address which is outside the EU. If the bill is to be passed, this could mean more people will be interested in VPNs. The result? More people will learn more about privacy and encryption, and hopefully start to value it more than before. The normalization of VPNs would be great for individual privacy and internet freedom in spite of the control that governments and the EU exercise.
What do you think? Will the bill pass through the European Parliament, or can it be stopped? Will the bill give rise to the mass-adoption of VPNs? And will competition bring about better quality and lower prices to VPNs? Let me know in the comment section!
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