MEPs fight to protect citizens' rights on the internet - apart from UKIP, that is

By PRSD, on Thursday, March 18, 2010

Fighting internet piracy is one thing, but that shouldn’t impinge on citizens’ rights, according to South West MEP Graham Watson.

Last week 663 MEPs – including SW Lib Dem MEP Graham Watson – supported a resolution opposing an Agreement that flouts current EU laws on privacy online. The Agreement is seeking to fight global infringements of intellectual property rights, counterfeiting and piracy but the heavy handed measures which are being negotiated in secret may in the process also harm internet users; legal data protection and access rights.

The MEPs’ action could mean parliamentarians taking the European Commission to the European Court of Justice if the Commission does not reject the terms of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.

The Agreement could see a ‘guilty till proven innocent’ approach for those suspected of illegally downloading material, which is forbidden under the EU telecoms law following a successful intervention by MEPs last year meaning internet cut-off is banned without due process and respect for fundamental rights. On checking the list of the 13 MEPs that did not support this measure to protect citizen’s rights it is apparent it includes South West UKIP MEPs Trevor Coleman, and The Earl of Dartmouth.

Graham Watson MEP told the PRSD: “Fighting rip-off and unsafe goods such as fake medicines and car parts, or major commercial copyright and trademark infringements, is absolutely valid and essential. But the Agreement goes too far.

“Many of my constituents are deeply concerned about ACTA’s implications for privacy, freedom and legality. It could require internet service providers, without a court order and based just on accusations, to disclose extensive information about ‘copyright infringers’ such as users illegally downloading or even to cut them off on pain of being held liable themselves.

“What is most shocking is that UKIP paint themselves to the public as a merry band of ‘outers’ opposing bad EU laws, but when it comes to the crunch they don’t cut the mustard. Their voting record highlights they aren’t interested in standing up for people’s legal rights. MEPs from every EU country can see these proposals are bad for the freedoms of their citizens – except UKIP.

“I deplore the secrecy of these negotiations undertaken by the Commission on this agreement. All the documents surrounding the talks must be made public. There must be no warrantless searches, no ‘three strikes and out’ and no confiscation of PCs, laptops or mobiles.

“UKIP MEPs have spent so much energy deriding the Lisbon Treaty and gaining cheap publicity through increasingly rude personal criticism of Commissioners that they are not holding the Commission and national Governments to account on real and serious issues.”