Future of Europe's Internet On the Line as EU Preps for Net Neutrality Vote

"Barbara van Schewick, a Stanford University law professor and director of the school's Center for Internet and Society, outlined the problems with the bill in an article posted onMedium last week, explaining, "The proposal about to be adopted fails to deliver network neutrality to the EU and is much weaker than current net neutrality rules in the United States..... We should ask the Parliament to adopt amendments to ensure an open Internet in Europe."

According to van Schewick, the bill's biggest issues are:

  • The proposal allows ISPs to create fast lanes for companies that pay through the specialized services exception.
  • The proposal generally allows zero-rating and gives regulators very limited ability to police it, leaving users and companies without protection against all but the most egregious cases of favoritism.
  • The proposal allows class-based discrimination, i.e. ISPs can define classes and speed up or slow down traffic in those classes even if there is no congestion.
  • The proposal allows ISPs to prevent “impending” congestion. That makes it easier for them to slow down traffic anytime, not just during times of actual congestion."