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New EU law prescribes website blocking in the name of consumer protection

juliareda.eu

71–80 of 125 posts

Re: New EU law prescribes website blocking in the name of consumer protection

#71
The sad truth (and missing detail) is that most EU countries already have national laws that allow extra-judicial bodies request ISPs to block websites at the DNS/IP level with minimal oversight.

A DB of such requests, limited to Italy: https://censura.bofh.it/

Re: New EU law prescribes website blocking in the name of consumer protection

#73
post #46

I think this is the relevant paragraph in the document (page 27 in http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/commissions/imco/inag/... ) linked from the article: "3. Competent authorities shall have at least the following enforcement powers: (e) where no other effective means are available to bring about the cessation or the prohibition of the infringement including by requesting a third party or other public authority t…

In the EU countries there are already blockades of some sites which allow people to access the links to the copyrighted content privately uploaded by some web users. Specifically, I know that providers get the court backed demands to block the sites, and they do that. But if you consider, youtube is exactly the same kind of site, having the copyrighted content uploaded by some web users there since Youtube exists and…

Youtube has a company behind it that can be sued.

The sites blocked are typically things that nobody will take responsibility for.

Note: this law also says, "where no other effective means are available". Prosecution in court or civil law suites are certainly "effective means". But for some websites they are not available.

Re: New EU law prescribes website blocking in the name of consumer protection

#74
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And relevant in how it'll be interpreted by the courts.

Which is a statement about the worthlessness of the legal system and not the worth of the legislation.

explain please?

Re: New EU law prescribes website blocking in the name of consumer protection

#75
post #30
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What should happen is irrelevant to the conversation. We’re talking about what WOULD happen.

That assumption of inevitability is self-fulfilling. Things would be a lot different if everyone who pessimistically disengages instead tried to use the democratic process.

Should we perhaps try to get the "cookie law" fixed :)

Re: New EU law prescribes website blocking in the name of consumer protection

#76
post #24

You people definetly should fight this. We had something like this under "ban pedo" umbrella, now this thing filter anything that is against the party rule

> now this thing filter anything that is against the party rule

Explain, did you read the text?

Re: New EU law prescribes website blocking in the name of consumer protection

#77
post #48

Man am I naive. I read the title as the EU wanting to provide a way to block web sites that do things like track consumers.

No, it looks more to do with blocking scamming sites.

"where no other effective means are available", hence, sites with representation in the EU, or owners who can be extradited to the EU, doesn't seem to be at risk.

Re: New EU law prescribes website blocking in the name of consumer protection

#78
post #70
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Limited to stopping pedophilia, piracy, nazis... Those are bridgeheads. I don't know if I buy this slippery slope argument. Nazi memorabilia and glorification have been banned in France and Germany for more than 70 years now, and these countries have not yet descended into fascism and further impeding of free speech and other points that we usually hear from offended Americans who learn about this.

Not yet, but if something doesn't change dramatically in the EU the countries you mentioned are on their way extremism (AfD, LePen)

Are you arguing that banning Nazi memorabilia is leading to the rise of far-right parties?

I think these two things are completely disconnected from each other. What we're talking about here is legislation, and legislation has not slipped towards censoring free speech more and more in the last seventy years (in France and Germany).

Re: New EU law prescribes website blocking in the name of consumer protection

#79
post #70
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Limited to stopping pedophilia, piracy, nazis... Those are bridgeheads. I don't know if I buy this slippery slope argument. Nazi memorabilia and glorification have been banned in France and Germany for more than 70 years now, and these countries have not yet descended into fascism and further impeding of free speech and other points that we usually hear from offended Americans who learn about this.

Not yet, but if something doesn't change dramatically in the EU the countries you mentioned are on their way extremism (AfD, LePen)

The AfD has no real power in Germany. They may have swayed a few votes but in one or two legislation periods their voter base will have been quietly absorbed into the establishment (CDU and SPD) or the opposition (Greens, The Left) or the parties nobody likes (FDP).

Basically none of the other parties in the government want to even consider cooperating with them, it'll fizzle out soon enough.

Re: New EU law prescribes website blocking in the name of consumer protection

#80

Consumer protection is a bad thing?

Only if it actually protects consumers instead of national interests. In the EU 'consumer protection' is the guise of protecting suppliers. For example, protecting consumers from Buffalo Mozzarella means that only 4 regions of Italy may produce it (via the Protected designation of origin scheme) (it doesn't matter if the recipe/methods are correct). This way the consumer is 'protected' from being sold Buffalo Mozzare…

Anybody anywhere can produce Buffalo Mozzarella. The protected term in the EU is "Mozzarella di Bufala Campana" which has the region already in it's name. The scheme has been introduced as trademarks protection of such terms that often have been associated with a specific region for centuries is not possible. It's really no different than regular trademarks for modern brands. Historically those schemes were introduced over a hundred years ago after faked products misled consumers. It's also a weaker interference in the free market than copyright protection: Anybody can start producing Mozzarella di Bufala Campana in the region while the rights to Kraft Cheese belong to a single company.

Producing a product the cheapest way possible is not the end goal. If those cheap products drive the traditional way out of the market (as consumers have no reliable way of distinguishing products) consumers that specifically want the product from that region are harmed. All others can buy generic Buffalo Mozzarella produced anywhere just fine.

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