[Techdirt] Brazil’s ‘Marco Civil’ Internet Civil Rights Law Finally Passes, With Key Protections Largely Intact

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We first wrote about Brazil’s ‘Marco Civil’ back in October 2011, when we described it as a kind of « anti-ACTA ». That’s because it was designed to protect online rights, not diminish them, and was the product of a democratic and transparent process, not of secret corporate lobbying. […]

Although it must still go to Brazil’s Federal Senate for consideration, before returning to the Chamber of Deputies and then being sent to the Brazilian President for her signature, the bill is essentially passed. As the above summary makes clear, the Marco Civil is an extremely wide-ranging law, and arguably the best of its kind anywhere in the world — an extraordinary achievement given its unusual origins and the lobbying firepower ranged against it. Global Voices comments:

« In a moment when censorship, surveillance, corporate greed and government corruption seem to dominate the world of digital rights, a victory like this one can bring hope to those working to improve user protections worldwide. »

The people who made this happen are to be congratulated on the victory, gained thanks to their unstinting hard work over the last few years. If only more of us could look forward to the protections the Marco Civil will provide.

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140326/09012226690/brazils-marco-civil-internet-civil-rights-law-finally-passes-with-key-protections-largely-intact.shtml