Polish PM cites ‘freedom of the internet’ after EU vote

“We have always been and will always be in favour of the freedom of the internet,” Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki declared in a Twitter post on Tuesday evening.

European Parliament lawmakers earlier in the day backed new copyright rules that critics say could hurt internet users in EU member states.

Morawiecki thanked MEPs from Poland’s ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party who voted in favour of "freedom of expression and civil rights for millions of Polish internet users."

MEPs from the Law and Justice party and the rural-based Polish People’s Party (PSL) were among those who opposed the controversial measures in the vote in Strasbourg, France, on Tuesday, Poland’s PAP news agency reported.

Meanwhile, most Eurodeputies from Poland’s opposition Civic Platform (PO) party supported the new rules, the news agency said.

The new EU Copyright Directive voted through by MEPs on Tuesday aims to change the way in which internet companies use media, music, news articles and other content posted online.

Opponents argue the new measures will endanger the freedom of the internet and lead to censorship, while advocates say changes in law are needed to better protect the rights of authors and creators.

Under one new measure, internet companies will be forced to pay publishers for displaying news snippets. Another measure requires online platforms such as Google and Facebook to install filters to prevent users from uploading copyrighted material, according to reports.

(gs/pk)

Source: PAP