Of course she will say that…she’s the one who proposed these regulations in the first place. EU Media Commissioner Viviane Reding said in speech that EU proposals to regulate audio and video content on the Internet are aimed at protecting society not undermining free speech. She said the proposed regulations reflected “basic societal values” — the protection of young children and restrictions on incitement to hatred. She said there is wide agreement on the restrictions against content that “goes too far and … destroys our society.”
Reding said without an EU-wide regulation there would be different rules in each of the 25 EU member nations, providing a barrier to the television industry, which would face a patchwork of rules.
Meanwhile, Reding has vehemently criticized Germany’s effort to create a broadband monopoly. Germany has proposed giving Deutsche Telekom a monopoly over broadband connections…the legislation would exempt Deutsche Telekom’s planned $3.9 billion broadband network from price regulation. Competitors would not be allowed to use the network for years.”We cannot afford to create new monopolies out of short-term political opportunism,” Reding said. “Should the German parliament follow the proposal of the government, I am determined to open an infringement procedure against Germany.”
In related news, in its first annual report on Euroep’s digital economy, the EC said countries need to step up their efforts to improve access to broadband internet connections. They also need to improve circulation of digital content, free up radio spectrum for new applications and modernise their public services, it added. The full report can be downloaded from here.
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