'Save the Internet' - EU Moves to Monitor Uploads, 'Censor' Memes, 'Tax' Website Links

by LIAM DEACON
Breitbart
May. 31, 2018

The European Union (EU) is less than a month away from voting to introduce aggressive new online copyright laws and "widespread censorship" measures, which critics say could strangle new media websites and stifle satire and online meme culture.

Unelected European Commission bureaucrats have drafted legislation which detractors say could force online platforms to monitor and control all uploads to some platforms with "content recognition technologies". They are also said to have proposed what has been termed a 'link tax', which could compel blogs and other websites to pay just to reference content.

The full effects of the legislation are still unclear, but critics allege that memes, remixes, and other types of user-generated content could be put at risk, as these could technically be seen as breaches of copyright — and so could sharing content on popular websites like Reddit, Tumblr, and Gab.

Others believe that the laws will hand well-resourced mainstream media firms an advantage over smaller alternative media groups that will struggle to comply with the sweeping new regulations. It is not clear how small news providers and even non-profit groups will be protected from harm.

The European Parliament is to vote on the copyright proposal late next month, namely Article 13 of the 'Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on copyright in the Digital Single Market.'

The 'link tax' was proposed in March by German Christian Democrat MEP Axel Voss, who has admitted extra copyright for news sites was "maybe not the best idea".

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