Netherlands first country in Europe with net neutrality
8 may 2012
Door Ot van Daalen
On 8 May 2012 The Netherlands adopted crucial legislation to safeguard an open and secure internet in The Netherlands. It is the first country in Europe to implement net neutrality in the law. In addition, it adopted provisions protecting users against disconnection and wiretapping by providers. Digital rights movement Bits of Freedom calls upon other countries to follow the Dutch example.
The net neutrality law prohibits internet providers from interfering with the traffic of their users. The law allows for traffic management in case of congestion and for network security, as long as these measures serve the interests of the internet user. A technical error in the law might still be corrected in a vote on 15 May.
In addition, the law includes an anti-wiretapping provision, restricting internetproviders from using invasive wiretapping technologies, such as deep packet inspection (DPI). They may only do so under limited circumstances, or with explicit consent of the user, which the user may withdraw at any time. The use of DPI gained much attention when KPN admitted that it analysed the traffic of its users to gather information on the use of certain apps. The law allows for wiretapping with a warrant.
Moreover, the law includes a provision ensuring that internet providers can only disconnect their users in a very limited set of circumstances. Internet access is very important for functioning in an information society, and providers currently could on the basis of their terms and conditions disconnect their users for numerous reasons. The provision allows for the disconnection in the case of fraud or when a user doesn’t pay his bills.
Bits of Freedom, the Dutch digital rights movement which campaigned for these provisions, applauds the new law. It considers this a historical moment for internet freedom in The Netherlands and calls on other countries to follow the Dutch example.
The provisions are part of the implementation of the European telecommunications rules. A translation of the provisions can be found here, but it does not include the technical error in the law which might be corrected on the 15th. bof.nl
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Netherlands First Country in Europe with Net Neutrality
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6 comments:
http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/
new-threat-internet-freedom
Noted, thank you.
Love is in the air M x
1997
http://bit.ly/11IkUqX
If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love. - Maya Angelou
Good morning Chuck, and a very big heart to you.
I'm just going through your stuff now, I must admit I have been somewhat lax of late.
http://amsterdamherald.com/index.php/rss/1042-20131106-netherlands-most-clinically-depressed-country-in-europe
Psychiatrist Jan Swinkels, of Amsterdam University, said the high incidence of depression in adults was mainly a question of perception.
Culture plays an important role. We are a sombre people, but that doesn’t mean we need more help than the Germans or Belgians. A lot depends on individual context.
LOL
Bonjour me lovely.
"mainly a question of perception"
Indeedy; personally I would have thought Denmark or some other Scandinavian country would top the list.
In a survey carried out by the University of Queensland!
What do the ausies know about anything? They probably think clinical depression is when you run out of beer.
What's a cultured Australian?
One who doesn't piss in the sink, or one that does, and apologises afterwards?
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