What are Cecilia Malmström’s promises on Internet censorship worth?

When arguing for Internet blocking of child pornography, EU Commissioner Cecilia Malmström promised to oppose any idea about extending the blocking to other areas

I have just submittedthe following question to the Commission:

Written Question to the Commission (Rule 117)

AUTHOR(S): ENGSTRÖM, Christian
SUBJECT: Commissioner Malmström’s personal actions to oppose extended Internet blocking

On May 6, 2010, Commissioner Malmström gave a keynote speech at a conference, presenting the Commission’s proposed Directive to combat sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of children and child pornography. On the subject of blocking sexual child abuse pictures on the Internet, Commissioner Malmström said:

”[T]he Commission’s proposal is about child abuse images, no more no less. The Commission has absolutely no plans to propose blocking of other types of content – and I would personally very strongly oppose any such idea.” [1]

On 17 February, 2011, the Council’s Law Enforcement Working Party LEWP presented its intention to propose concrete measures towards creating a single secure European cyberspace with a certain ”virtual Schengen border” and ”virtual access points” whereby the Internet Service Providers (ISP) would block illicit contents on the basis of the EU ”black-list”. [2]

What has Commissioner Malmström personally done to oppose this idea?

[1] http://www.meldpunt-kinderporno.nl/files/Biblio/Speech-Malmstrom-Combating-sexual-abuse06_05_2010.pdf

[2] http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/11/st07/st07181.en11.pdf

An answer from the Commission should be expected in about 6 weeks, and will appear on my EU-parl page for written questions.

Update: The answer has now arrived:

EN
E-004996/2011
Answer given by Ms Malmström
on behalf of the Commission
(20.6.2011)

According to the information at the disposal of the Commission, the initiative referred to by the Honourable Member is a presentation by an expert of the Hungarian delegation with the title ”Towards the single Secure European Cyberspace” given during a joint meeting of the Law enforcement Working Party and the Customs Cooperation Working Party of the Council of the European Union. It is not a specific proposal for action proposed or endorsed by the Council, the General Secretariat of the Council or the Presidency.

The Commission will not react to a presentation made by a national expert.

The Commission has tabled a proposal for a Directive on combating sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children as well as child pornography [1], which takes the obligation of Member States to remove and block access to websites containing or disseminating child pornography into account. The proposal is currently under discussion. The Council has adopted a general approach on 3 December 2010, and the Parliament LIBE Committee has taken an orientation vote on 14 February 2011.

The Commission does not envisage to propose the blocking of other types of illegal content.

—–

[1] COM(2010) 94 final: Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating the sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, repealing Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA.

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Others who write about the subject: The Daily Telegraph, Tags: piratpartiet, eu, politik, informationspolitik