MEPs vote in favor of controversial internet copyright laws

The EU has again voted on copyright reform, and this time members of the European Parliament have voted in favor of the extremely controversial Articles 11 and 13. This has been described as the worst possible outcome in some sectors, as it could have a significant impact on the way we use the internet.

Internet is on the way to significant change

The Copyright Directive, first proposed in 2016, aims to harmonize the issue of copyright with the digital age. Articles 11 and 13 have caused particular controversy, and many announce their adoption as the death of the Internet. Article 11, also known as the "link tax, " would require online platforms like Google and Facebook to pay media companies to link to their content, while article 13, the "load filter, " would It would force you to check all the content uploaded to your sites and remove any copyrighted material.

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Unsurprisingly, these parts of the bill have been met with opposition from digital rights groups, computer scientists, academics, platforms like Wikipedia, and even human rights groups. Supporters, however, say the consequences of the measures are being disproportionate, and that the provisions are simply meant to give creators and smaller outlets a chance to regain the value of their work.

Despite today's outcome, we are still a long way from current legislation. Today's decision will be subject to even more negotiations between politicians and member states, with a final vote by the EU Parliament in January. Individual member states can then interpret the directive as they see fit before it becomes law. However, if these provisions reach the next round of discussions, the Internet could soon be seen as a very different place.

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