In a speech today at Berlin conference re:publica Neelie Kroes, vice-president of the European Commission made some bold statements which merit this news flash.
“The Internet is the new frontier of freedom” said Ms Kroes to an audience of startups and activists in Berlin, acknowledging for the first time the political reality that “we are now likely to be in a world without SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and without ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement). Now we need to find solutions to make the Internet a place of freedom, openness, and innovation fit for all citizens.”
This is a remarkable move by the European Commission, which is made in response to the public outcry. Ms Kroes says: “We have recently seen how many thousands of people are willing to protest against rules which they see as constraining the openness and innovation of the Internet. This is a strong new political voice. And as a force for openness, I welcome it, even if I do not always agree with everything it says on every subject.”
In a landmark speech she goes on, stating that freedom online is imperative and acknowledges that the “Internet is the new frontier of freedom”. She addresses the disruption that the new reality of a connected world causes in the world of politics and economics and reminds her audience that “some find that change too disruptive, too challenging, and want to stop it.”
Her conclusion: “But remember how many kinds of freedom we can promote and protect online. Fundamental freedoms – like freedom of speech, and the right to privacy. The freedom to innovate, and to be rewarded and recognised for your own bright ideas in the way you think fit. And the freedom of the Internet architecture as a whole.”
A truly remarkable speech, as for the first time there is a full acknowledgement of the new reality that there is no Europe without a free and open internet. The speech stresses the importance to safeguard this freedom and to fight cyber crime and issues like child pornography so it’s clear the European Commission doesn’t believe in an unregulated internet.
Kroes makes the comparison with the Wild West, as she has done in the past, to defend her attempts to make the Internet safe. She rejects the idea that online freedom and security must come at the expense of each other. “There is no freedom without security; these concepts are interdependent and complementary. I may have the legal right to walk down a particular road at night: but am I truly free to do so, if it is not safe?”
This clearly leaves some room to intervene and opposes the stand of people advocating absolute freedom on the web. However, her main message is “we need to find solutions to make the Internet a place of freedom, openness, and innovation fit for all citizens, not just for the techno avant-garde.”
In the second part of her speech, she stresses the importance of the web for the economic future of Europe. She speaks about “seemingly infinite innovation” powered by the Internet and that “whole industries once based on limitation and control could now be based on customer focus, sharing and interactivity. Freedom online can deliver that potential to innovate: but systems that are dated, closed or complex can strangle it.”
This is a clear attack on the old copyright-based industries. It seems like a smart move as Europe is not the biggest stakeholder here. There is no European Hollywood to protect, so why shouldn’t European startups be at the forefront in creating new services. This is clearly an area where Europe could take the lead and this speech makes it clear that the European committee will be actively leading the way.
Kroes offers aspiring web entrepreneurs help: she promises to remove barriers like the 27 different copyright regulations currently in force. She pledges to give “credit and political recognition” to European startups and mentions the Tech All-Stars competition where the EC tries to find the twelve best startups. For a hall packed of young entrepreneurs this must have sounded like gospel.
Landmark speech to get Europe on track – or still suspicious of new attempts to regulate the web in Europe?
Author: Max Huijgen
Live stream from re:publica: http://re-publica.de/12/
Speaker list: http://re-publica.de/12/speaker/
See also: http://techallstars.eu/
Picture credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/holgerrings/6995442988/
