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FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION and internet freedom must be protected in future domestic legislation resulting from the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), Labour’s TD for Clare told the Council of Europe today.
Michael McNamara was speaking at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, where he called for public consultations about future domestic legislation resulting from ACTA.
He spoke in favour of a proposed amendment to a resolution on “the protection of freedom of expression and information on the Internet and online media”, referring to the “wide criticism and concerns over the restriction of fundamental rights and freedoms, most notably the freedom of expression and communication privacy, raised by Internet stakeholders and governments” in relation to ACTA.
McNamara said that many of Ireland’s fellow member state would have “such fundamental rights enshrined” in their constitutions and – therefore – citizen would be entitled to ensure that their rights were being protected in the courts.
As such, he said, it was “questionable as to whether regulatory institutions are the appropriate means to police matters that are so central to democracy.”
At the beginning of the month, the European Commission referred the controversial treaty to the European Court of Justice.
The European Parliament’s ratification is required to make the treaty binding on the 27 EU member states; the Commission has urged it to wait until the court issues a ruling on whether ACTA is compatible with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
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McNamara should probably have a word with his party colleague Sean Sherlock then.
Sean is a idiot and everyone knows it
What right does a government have restricting the world wide web …..
None of these made it contributed to it or Rolled out broadband to every home.
Any and all attempts to control filter or restrict the Internet by governments or big business should be rejected. !!!
Sean Sherlock Shame on you !
McNamara +1
Where was this man when Minister Sherlock was moving in the opposite direction? It is all well and good to sound virtuous on the international stage.
Just don’t read them Ivor… Simple
Yes that s the solution to hate and bully sites on the Internet – just don t read them and they ll go away. Nazis, bully s and sickos have always succumbed to that brand of treatment . Jeez why didn’t t I think of that LOL. Do you think it ll work with the paedo sites that Facebook refuse to remove, forcing parents into court action? You r right lets ignore their existence and they ll all vanish . Someone should tell the parents and save them a heap of cash or remind them that they offend against somebody else sense of freedom of speech and free expression.
I’ve never heard of this facebook paedo/nazi issue before. I would have assumed that there were plenty of existing laws that would cover pornographic images of children or hate speech for a company the size of facebook.
What total sanctimonious crap. On FB some Leeds United Fans have set up a really offensive site mocking the Munich air disaster and those killed. Zuckerberg and minions say it will not be taken down just like the peado, hate and bully sites FB have spawned. FB has made billions for it s founder . But where are sick take the piss out of Belsen and Auschwitz sites on FB or praising hitler and other monsters on FB. My skin crawls when so self righteous words as ‘Freedom of Expression’ are used to justify hate and intollerance.
and who do you think should decide what is allowed up online or what is deemed unfit?
Probably someone with a conscience Jon?
The European Data Protection Supervisor has damned ACTA (See for soruce: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/04/25/eu_privacy_acta/ )
Yes please protect porntube.
The Internet is for the people and freedom of speech!
Freedom of speech M’Arse………. and that’s where you sit (EU Parliament) in silence as the ones that elected you are being koshed by UN-elected elements within your feckin’ walls…….. Fcukin’ plamawsers……..
Kudos for one of the most impenetrable comments posted on Journal.ie. you mention the European Parliament, however. Just so as you know the EP has been leading the fight against ACTA for many months now, especially the Socialist Group of which Labour is part. The question is not whether the Internet should be regulated, clearly some regulation is required wrt hate sites, paedo-sites and sites engaged in, e.g. fraud. The question for me and, indeed for the PES (Party of European Socialists) is whether human values and interests should set the terms on the Internet or whether corporate interests should prevail. This is why ACTA and SOPA and all the other dreary copyright-based claims should be resisted, because they put corporate interests before people’s privacy and our legitimate on-line freedom. While there is a need for some way of acknowledging copyright on-line, that cannot come at the costs of allowing corporate greed to set the terms of the Internet.
Desmond, thanks for the eh, compliment (lol). Seriously though thanks for an insight into this topic. I do agree with what you point out here (hence the thumbs up). It’s the apparent silence of the EU parliament that has made me wonder if there exists any opposition to the blatant skullduggery plaguing Europe….. at any level on any matter! I must check out the PES and see what the craic is. A Chara
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