• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

The Social Media Hat

Always On Top Of Social

  • Coaching & Consulting
  • Become An Influencer
  • Speaking
  • Articles
    • Digital Marketing
      • Influencer Marketing
    • Social Media Articles
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • LinkedIn
      • Pinterest
      • Twitter
      • YouTube
    • Social Media Tools
    • Virtual Events
  • Podcast
  • Newsletter
  • Search
  • Coaching & Consulting
  • Become An Influencer
  • Speaking
  • Articles
    • Digital Marketing
      • Influencer Marketing
    • Social Media Articles
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • LinkedIn
      • Pinterest
      • Twitter
      • YouTube
    • Social Media Tools
    • Virtual Events
  • Podcast
  • Newsletter
  • Search

Europe Takes Steps to Ensure Net Neutrality

You are here: Home / Social Media Articles / Europe Takes Steps to Ensure Net Neutrality

June 18, 2013 //  by Mike Allton

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Europe appears to be leading the charge in the “net neutrality” debate, showing the nation is once again, currently more progressive than the U.S. when it comes to laws protecting our Internet freedoms.

The EU on Jun 4 passed a law that barred Internet providers from blocking or throttling their customer’s abilities to access services that are in competition with their own, according to ZDNet.com.

This will most likely be enforced across the continent of Europe, even though it’s already enforced in the nations of Netherlands and Slovenia. This issue has been building in momentum over the past few years to become a standard across Europe so that all people across the continent have equal Internet access, no matter what country they live in or whom their provider is. Currently, it’s estimated up to 100 million people are blocked from accessing certain websites or services like Skype or WhatsApp simply because ISPs don’t want the competition.

While ISPs have the right to block certain sites that may flood customers with spam and congest their servers in general, they shouldn’t be allowed to block specific services. Much of the new law also has to do with basic transparency between ISP contracts with broadband and what their customers are expecting to receive. As the law moves forward, it probably won’t be in effect in Europe until 2015, barring any other political holdups.

Net Neutrality in the United States

However, America has been way behind on this issue as new laws like SOPA and CISPA have kept those in the United States very aware of what restrictions may be put on a person to access just about anything online. While CISPA, better known as the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act died in the Senate last year, it’s back and has passed through the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, according to NBC News.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration needs more privacy and civil liberties for citizens to be guaranteed before they will approve the bill. The talks have been productive, however, and it seems like something that might actually pass in the future, allowing the government to have the right to look into certain types of Internet use as threats to national security. A series of cyberattacks over the past year, from disruptions of U.S. banking websites to markets being effected by fake messaging on the Associated Press Twitter, have fueled more support for this type of legislation that compromises the true freedom of the Internet.

The nation is considered incredibly vulnerable to cyberattacks, and many experts believe it is only a matter of time before a major attack causes some real damage to the national infrastructure.

Safety and Freedom in a Digital Europe

While the net neutrality of Europe protects the privacy and abilities of individuals, it blurs the line between Internet safety and Internet freedom. For example, a distributed denial-of-service, or DDos, attack on a company known as Spamhaus, a police agency for spam around the world, supports the need for more Internet security and bills like SOPA and CISPA. However, those who support the attack on Spamhaus don’t believe the company stood for true freedom while using the Internet, according to Internetproviders.com.

The activists who support a free Internet tend to go after companies that restrict people’s rights online, not banks and national infrastructures. Unfortunately, the problem with freedom is that people regularly take advantage of it which inevitably results in laws that effect all of us and our ability to do what we want without affecting anyone else.

Image by paltelegraph pursuant to the terms of Creative Commons license.

Related

Category: Social Media Articles

About Mike Allton

Mike is an international keynote speaker, an award-winning blogger & author at The Social Media Hat, and Head of Strategic Partnerships at Agorapulse where he strengthens relationships with social media educators, influencers and partner brands. He has spent over a decade in digital marketing and brings an unparalleled level of experience and excitement to the fore, whether he's delivering a presentation or leading a workshop.

Join The Community!

34,720 savvy marketers have signed up to get the latest social media insights and ideas. Will you?


Previous Post: « New Google+ Notifications Make Life Easier
Next Post: Social Media Marketing in High-Growth vs Average-Growth Firms »

Primary Sidebar

Work With Mike

Work with Mike Allton in a consulting capacity, or to speak at your next event.

Meet Mike

Mike Allton is an international keynote speaker & consultant, and an award-winning blogger and author at The Social Media Hat, where he has been educating businesses and organizations on the best use of content marketing for reaching and converting target audiences. Mike is proud to serve as the Head of Strategic Partnerships at Agorapulse, where he builds relationships with influencers and brands around the world.

Since 2012, Mike has worked with over a hundred brands and executives to help them identify and implement successful strategies. As a certified NLP Coach & Practitioner, he helps YOU achieve excellence. Work With Mike

Partnership Unpacked

Featured Posts

How SaaS Companies Find and Leverage B2B Influencers w/ Justin Levy

May 29, 2023 //  by Mike Allton

Partnership Unpacked, Episode 23, with Justin Levy

Employee Influencer

Your Employee, Your Biggest Influencer: How to Market Your Brand Through Your Employees

May 27, 2023 //  by Chinwoke Nnamani

Employee Advocacy: Some Of Your Best Influencer Options

How To Think Differently About Influencer Marketing w/ Jason Falls

How To Think Differently About Influencer Marketing w/ Jason Falls

May 22, 2023 //  by Mike Allton

Partnership Unpacked, Episode 22, with Jason Falls

More Like This

  • The Essential Influencer Marketing Partnership Agreement for B2B SaaS Companies
  • Why Digital Marketing Education is a Must for Modern-Day Students
  • Why B2B SaaS Influencer Marketing Is A Struggle Worth Overcoming

Footer

Recent Posts

  • How SaaS Companies Find and Leverage B2B Influencers w/ Justin Levy
  • Your Employee, Your Biggest Influencer: How to Market Your Brand Through Your Employees
  • How To Think Differently About Influencer Marketing w/ Jason Falls
  • The Essential Influencer Marketing Partnership Agreement for B2B SaaS Companies
  • Why Digital Marketing Education is a Must for Modern-Day Students
  • Why B2B SaaS Influencer Marketing Is A Struggle Worth Overcoming
  • How to Create a Partnership Movement in Your Company w/ Jared Fuller
  • How To Partner With Your Audience To Amplify Your Brand w/ Rachel Stephan

Marketing Resources

  • Partnership Unpacked Podcast
  • The Ultimate Guide to the Perfect LinkedIn Profile
  • How To Craft Your Marketing Plan
  • Social Media Spring Cleaning
  • Social Media Planner
  • Get The Newsletter
  • Home
  • Virtual Event Strategy
  • Mike Allton, Your Next Keynote Speaker
  • Mike Allton’s Newsletter
  • Work With Mike
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure

Site Footer

Partnership Unpacked Podcast

  • Listen on Amazon
  • Listen on Apple
  • Listen on Google
  • Listen on Spotify
  • Listen on Stitcher
  • Social Media Articles
  • Digital Marketing Articles
  • Social Media Tools & Resources
  • Virtual Events Articles
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2011–2023 The Social Media Hat · All Rights Reserved