David Cochrane has pointed to a vote on a non-binding document that will be voted on by the European Parliament in the next day or two. This story has been around since June, and doesn't in itself appear to amount to much.

http://www.europarl.europa.eu//news/expert/infopress_page/039-30532-154-06-23-906-20080602IPR30531-02-06-2008-2008-false/default_en.htm

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/008-37659-266-09-39-901-20080919IPR37658-22-09-2008-2008-false/default_en.htm

He has also publishes what is described as a leaked EU report (unattributed) on the Irish media and blogging in relation to Lisbon. This is only part of a much wider ongoing debate on blogging and fora that it is good to keep abreast of.

In reading for this I noticed that Sweden has introduced legislation allowing government to read all emails and listen to all phone calls.

The idea of open communications, confidentiality and privacy in communications continues to be discussed internationally and to come under pressure.

http://euobserver.com/871/26884/?rk=1

The pressure for more policing of the internet continues with this overrule of Sarkozy by Barroso. Sarkozy, behind the frenetic "Wold Leadery" is a very right wing President, making fundamental changes to French law. In this case, he was looking for disconnection from the internet of any person found to have downloaded copyright material

Given the realities of modern dependence on the Internet, that is rather like banning someone from walking.

johnfás wrote:

Given the realities of modern dependence on the Internet, that is rather like banning someone from walking.

Banning them from walking if they happened to see copyright material while doing so...I'm perennially irritated by the authoritarian attempts to regulate the Internet. Having said that, I also get extremely irritated by the screaming over-reaction that accompanies reasonable suggestions while letting the really authoritarian moves slide by unchallenged.

A good example is the contrasting response to the report DC cited compared to the publication of our data retention laws. The suggestion that bloggers might voluntarily disclose their interests in return for some kind of accreditation was greeted with howls of denunciation, while much the same people reacted to the government's decision to track your entire online activity with "well, if you've nothing to hide you've nothing to fear". How does one come to that level of idiocy? Does it require training? Special chemicals?