La Quadrature du Net

News

17 Mar 2010 Help protect an open internet in the Del Castillo "Digital Agenda" report

11 Mar 2010 Spanish Presidency: Hostile to Net neutrality

05 Mar 2010 EU: Digital Inquisition against an open Internet?

15 Feb 2010 Iceland to become a model for freedom of communication

12 Feb 2010 EU Council Presidency: Spain pushes for flawed Net policies

15 Jan 2010 Commissioner Kroes commits herself to Net neutrality

14 Jan 2010 La Quadrature's response to the EU 2020 consultation

13 Jan 2010 Questions to Commissioner-designate Kroes on Net neutrality and freedoms in the digital age

16 Dec 2009 Questions for the new European Commissioners

08 Dec 2009 La Quadrature meets with French Telecoms Regulator on Net neutrality

Net neutrality

Net neutrality means that the Internet has no gatekeeper. It encompasses all the issues related to the circulation of information on the Internet, such as free speech, access to knowledge, copyright or innovation. Thanks to this principle, everyone retain the freedom to access and produce the information they want, regardless of their financial capacities or social status.[Read more ...]

Additionally, Net neutrality allows for more efficient and innovative markets, where even the smallest entrepreneurs are on equal footing with the leading global enterprises as they can freely make use of the network to launch new services and applications. It guarantees a free an open Internet that enables wider democratic participation and effective economic competition.

But this funding principle of the Internet is now under threat, as some telecom operators and content industries want to develop business-models based on the prioritization of certain information flows by taking control of the network. Such discriminatory practices could turn the Internet into yet another predominantly commercial media -- one that restrains choice, diversity and participation. New entrants and innovators would also be unable to benefit from the economic level playing field that the Internet currently provides.
Also, governments threaten Net neutrality by seeking to implement filtering techniques in order to re-establish the kind of control they used to have on traditional and unidirectional media.

Should the inherent openness of the Internet architecture vanish, the freedom of expression and communication as well as the freedom to innovate in the networked information environment we occupy would all be taken away.

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