Strasbourg, 11/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - The internet has changed the world over the past decade, stated German Christian Democrat Axel E. Fischer of the European People's Party (EPP) at the spring sitting of the parliamentary assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) on this very theme.
Two reports were on the agenda, one by Fischer himself on improving protection and safety in cyberspace, and one by his Finnish EPP colleague, Jaana Pelkonen, who looked at the right of access to the internet. Adopted after discussion, the two reports will add to the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights, along with a resolution on freedom of information on the web and a resolution on data protection. The politicians stressed that PACE was taking a determined look at the internet in the light of the crucial text that is the European Convention of Human Rights.
Last autumn, the second World Democracy Forum looked at “Internet and Democracy”. The questions raised by the brave new world of the internet are manifold and can appear contradictory at times, as the two reports on the agenda demonstrated, with the first seeking to open up this virtual world to as many people as possible and the second described the dangers arising against which there must be protection if civil liberties are to be maintained in Europe. By 125 to 4 and one abstention (the Pelkonen Report), PACE urged the governments of the Council of Europe's 46 member states to ensure “financially affordable right of access to the internet for all” based on minimum standards of service. The Fischer report was endorsed by 100 votes to 2 and 3 abstentions, which points out that users' confidence in the internet has been hugely damaged by the recent revelations of mass surveillance by the intelligence services by Edward Snowden, who addressed a Council of Europe hearing by videoconference the day before. PACE called on the member states' governments to take a raft of measures to improve safety for web users. It is calling for the drawing up of an action plan to prevent mass violations of the fundamental right to privacy of the type revealed by Edward Snowden, and the introduction of laws to allow data to be moved, stored, analysed and intercepted only using procedures that comply with the European Convention of Human Rights and its protection of privacy and correspondence. The parliamentarians call for a global campaign by governments and industry to improve protection of users' safety. PACE is aiming at increased globalisation of internet governance since the web is itself global. (VL)