We’re Meeting MEPs in Brussels Next Week to Stop Internet Censorship

This is our one last chance to convince key decision makers to side with European Internet users and shut down a misguided plan to build censorship robots to monitor and block our content online. 

Next week I will be meeting your representatives in the European Parliament to discuss the controversial copyright proposals, and its far-reaching impact on free expression.

This is our one last chance to be face to face with the most important decision makers on this law, to urge them to do the right thing and shut down the plan to build censorship robots to monitor and block your content.

We are talking about a mandatory filter, a set of algorithms, that every website you use to post on — news sites, video sharing, Tumblr, deviant art, fanfiction, Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, podcasting hosts - would have to install and place in charge of what gets posted.

These programs have the ability to block users from posting content before they’ve fully uploaded it, if it detects — often incorrectly — a copyright infringement.

These bots can’t make exceptions for parody, public interest, fair use, and many other legal forms of expression. Imagine your videos, your memes, website posts and art deleted as soon as you upload them because of a flawed algorithm or program.

Algorithms get it wrong all the time. They have caused people to be fired, denied people their benefits, and used racial bias to decide on prison sentences. 

Still, politicians increasingly think any and all tasks can be automated. We need to stop this.

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These copyright filters are not objective, but being pushed for and designed by huge rightsholder lobby groups. We know this will have devastating consequences, it will silence legitimate expression. So please don’t be silent now, add your voice to the petition today.

There isn’t much time left to make sure that powerful mass censorship tools are not placed in the hands of lobbyists and government officials. Speak out now and help spread the word — we’re counting on you!