On 5 July 2018 MEPs will vote on the Legal Affairs Committee’s latest version of the EU Copyright Directive. It currently contains Article 13 which would introduce upload filters to major Internet platforms.
Automated filters tend to overblock because they struggle to understand context. That means the legitimate use of copyrighted material such as in parodies, remixes, journalistic research and more will be in constant jeopardy. This is a huge threat to creativity and free expression online.
This could change our experience of the Internet from free and creative sharing to one where anything can be removed without warning, by computers.
If you’d like to learn more about the history of Article 13 click here.
MEPs need to hear directly from their constituents exactly why upload filters would be a catastrophe for free speech. Please call your MEPs now, phone calls are the most effective tactic at this late hour. You can use the points below to construct your own unique message. FIND YOUR MEPS IN THE LIST AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.
• Say if you are part of a tech business, or a creator, like a musician, photographer, video editor or a writer.
• Creativity and free speech will be harmed by Article 13 because algorithms struggle to tell the difference between infringement and the legal use of copyrighted material vital to research, commentary, parodies and more.
• It is a bad idea to make Internet companies responsible for enforcing copyright law. To ensure compliance and avoid penalty, platforms are sure to err on the side of caution and overblock.
• To ease compliance platforms will adjust their terms of service to be able to delete any content or account for any reason. That will leave victims of wrongful deletion with no right to complain – even if their content was perfectly legal.
• No filter can possibly review every form of content covered in Article 13’s mandate including text, audio, video, images and software. Article 13 is technically infeasible.
• You can email these two briefings to MEPs after your call.
Dear (insert MEP handle), as your constituent and in the name of protecting free speech online I urge you to oppose #Article13 in the #CopyrightDirective. #SaveYourInternet #DeleteArt13 #CensorshipMachine
The MEPs listed below have not yet decided how they will vote, so if one is in your area please be sure to reach out to them. Your message could tip them in the right direction. IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE THE UK, USE THIS TOOL INSTEAD: https://saveyourinternet.eu
Seb Dance MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75833
Twitter: @SebDance
Claude Moraes MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75553
Twitter: @Claude_Moraes
Siôn Simon MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75505
Twitter: @sionsimon
Rory Palmer MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75459
Twitter: @Rory_Palmer
Rupert Matthews MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75598
Twitter: @RMatthewsMEP
Amjad Bashir MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75319
Twitter: @AmjadBashirMEP
John Procter MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75321
Twitter: Not available
Wajid Khan MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75437
Twitter:@WajidKhanMEP
Jacqueline Foster MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75674
Twitter:@jfostermep
Sajjad Karim MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75640
Twitter:@SHKMEP
Alex Mayer MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75477
Twitter: @alexlmayer
Geoffrey Van Orden MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75332
Twitter: @GVOMEP
David Campbell Bannerman MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75733
Twitter: @DCBMEP
Nirj Deva MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75245
Twitter: @NirjDeva
David Martin MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75539
Twitter: @davidmartinmep
Nosheena Mobarik MEP
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75249
Twitter: @NosheenaMobarik