As Europe's latest copyright proposal heads to a critical vote on June 20-21, more than 70 Internet and computing luminaries have spoken out against a dangerous provision, Article 13, that would require Internet platforms to automatically filter uploaded content. The group, which includes Internet pioneer Vint Cerf, the inventor of the World Wide Web Tim Berners-Lee, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales, co-founder of the Mozilla Project Mitchell Baker, Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle, cryptography expert Bruce Schneier, and net neutrality expert Tim Wu, wrote in a joint letter that was released today:
By requiring Internet platforms to perform automatic filtering all of the content that their users upload, Article 13 takes an unprecedented step towards the transformation of the Internet, from an open platform for sharing and innovation, into a tool for the automated surveillance and control of its users.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/06/internet-luminaries-ring-alarm-eu-copyright-filtering-proposal
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday June 13 2018, @02:50AM (2 children)
That is exactly what the Powers That Be are working to prevent. From the US, to Australia, to Russia, to China, and Vietnam - gubbermint wants to control what you access, and business wants to be part of that control.
ISP's are already guilty of throttling content that they don't like, such as torrenting. It's a small step to blocking anything they don't like. Sure, you can try to disguise your torrents by using a non-standard port, but you're not really fooling anyone. If you are partly successful in disguising your traffic, the ISP can just shut you down, completely.
And, that is not likely to change, any time soon. The internet has been built in such a fashion that you need an ISP. Any attempt to get around that middleman will be answered by law enforcement, the courts, and congress, in a manner that none of us likes.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by black6host on Wednesday June 13 2018, @03:19AM
If it comes down to the internet is no longer useful than what else is there to say but screw the internet? We will find a way. Technology has advanced too far to eliminate dissemination of information. That's the important part, the rest is just fluff.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by isostatic on Wednesday June 13 2018, @11:36AM
Nothing stops me from running some fiber from point A to point B, landing it on my own router, and other people doing the same thing - just get permission from the land owners (or in reality buy some dark fibre from someone who's already done that)
We can then exchange routes between us, and any other network that's happy to peer with us. Some networks may even transit.
It's not rocket science.