The Internet wouldn’t be what it is without platforms like Reddit, Medium, Soundcloud, DeviantArt, and thousands more that allow users to access and share creative content and news. Europe’s Digital Single Market Directive could change how they work forever.
As currently proposed, the Directive would bring two dangerous changes to how we communicate and share information online. First, it would stop websites from reproducing short extracts of news articles along with links to those articles, unless they pay a compulsory "link tax" to the news publisher.
Second, platforms would have to put in place expensive new censorship tools that enable them to snoop on everything you upload, and to block those uploads if they detect what they think is copyright-infringing content.
Together, these measures would create huge obstacles for web platforms to serve as hubs for knowledge sharing, making the Internet a less interactive place.
The JURI (Legal Affairs) Committee of the European Parliament could vote on these measures within weeks. After that, they will be much harder to stop before they are passed into law.
Fortunately, there’s still time to stop it. We urgently need your help, as one of EFF’s valued European members, to convince your representatives to vote against these misguided measures, and to preserve what has made the Internet an open and innovative environment for all.
When you click on the button below, you’ll be redirected to our partner Mozilla’s campaign website. There, you’ll be able to call your representative and ask them to vote no to mandatory upload filters that would censor the Internet, and no to a compulsory link tax for publishers.
Demand fair copyright policies
Thank you,
Elliot Harmon
Activism Team
Electronic Frontier Foundation