To do this weekend: ask your MEPs to vote for Telecom package amendments 133 and 138

Update (24/09/08): The votes are in. The bad news is that amendment 133 was rejected (watch this space for a link to a list of the MEPs who rejected it). But the good news is that amendment 138 was passed, with a last minute oral amendment. The European Parliament voted to adopt it in this form:

“applying the principle that no restriction may be imposed on the rights and freedoms of end-users, notably in accordance with Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union on freedom of expression and information, without a prior ruling by the judicial authorities, save when public security is threatened”

According to IP Integrity, this amendment to the Directive means that ISPs ability to impose restrictions on users’ access to content will be limited.

Update (22/09/08): Since the vote isn’t until Wednesday 24 September, there’s still time to write to your MEPs and ask them to support these amendments. So what are you waiting for?

Next Wednesday, MEPs will vote on the Telecoms package. Two amendments have been tabled which in particular will ensure the new telecoms regulations protect European citizens from unreasonable surveillance and censure. If you have half an hour this weekend, why not write to to your MEPs and ask them to support these amendments?

Amendment 133 is an anti-filtering amendment, and will add the following text to the Directive:

“Member States shall ensure that no technology may be mandated by competent authorities which would facilitate surveillance of internet users, such as technologies that mirror or monitor the user´s actions and/or interfere with operations of the user’s network activity for the benefit of a third party (known as “filtering”).”

Amendment 138 ensures that sanctions cannot be imposed on end-users without judicial oversight. It will add the following text to the Directive:

“applying the principle that no restriction may be imposed on the rights and freedoms of end-users, notably in accordance with Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union on freedom of expression and information, without a prior ruling by the judicial authorities, except where dictated by force majeure or by the requirements of preserving network integrity and security, and subject to national provisions of criminal law imposed for reasons of public policy, public security or public morality.”

La Quadrature du Net are maintaining a voting list, which gives MEPs interested in protecting the rights of European citizens advice on how to vote on all the amendments tabled to the Telecoms package. As the list demonstrates, many amendments have been tabled that reflect the criticisms of the Telecoms package made by the European Data Protection Supervisor last week.