Europe has passed the controversial European net neutrality law today, which could decide the future of the Internet in the continent. "Great news that the European Parliament just approved end of roaming surcharges, putting net neutrality into EU law," Andrus Ansip, European Commission Vice President, said in a Twitter post.
Observers note, however, that the legislation could undermine the Internet because of the loopholes that could be abused and exploited by Internet providers. For example, there is the case of specialized services which are allowed to evade net neutrality rules, particularly the prohibition for paid prioritization. They are accorded separate capacity and preferable treatment with the notion that these "would not be able to function on the open Internet because they need special treatment that the open Internet cannot provide," Barbara van Schewick, a law professor at Stanford, told Ars Technica.
Unlike in the U.S., however, where the rules are specific as to what the specialized services are, the exemption in the EU net neutrality law is general and ambiguous. For this reason and other loopholes, many net neutrality advocates are slamming the new law.
"The proposed regulations are weak and confusing," Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the worldwide web, said in a statement. "To keep Europe innovative and competitive, it is essential that MEPs [Members of European Parliament] adopt amendments for stronger 'network neutrality.'"
While many think that the framework adopted in the U.S. is the ideal net neutrality regulation, it is also being threatened. For example, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush has vowed to repel it once elected, as HNGN previously reported.
