Brussels, 13/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - As part of the continuing debate on net neutrality in 2015 and given that member states' opinions still do not concur on the exact definition of this key principle in the “Connected Continent” package, the European Digital Media Association (EDIMA) published its position on this issue, on Monday, 12 January. EDIMA is an alliance of 18 online European companies and Internet giants such as Net Apple, eBay, Amazon EU, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Nokia and Yahoo! Europe.
Open Internet access is a fundamental right for consumers and companies. EDIMA emphasises that the Internet must remain an open platform that promotes innovation and creativity. It also calls for the introduction of basic principles that recognise network operators and access providers have the right to use different traffic management techniques and provide complementary services to users. In other words, they want to be allowed to offer “specialist services” to consumers and companies, which the European Commission authorises in its proposal, subject to certain conditions. The European Parliament and certain member states at the Council, however, want very strict controls in this area. EDIMA argues that the Internet has to remain an open platform for innovation and creativity and put forward four key fundamental principles that are likely to guarantee and frame innovation and economic growth on the Internet, while respecting the rights of all users, irrespective of whether they are basic users or those using complementary services. The principles are as follows: 1) a ban on blocking or undermining legal content of services and applications on the Internet for basic users; 2) acknowledging that “reasonable” management of Internet traffic is acceptable, indeed, necessary, so as to avoid intense net congestion and tackle botnets and other cyber attacks. Guidelines must be drawn up in this regard; 3) a guarantee of total transparency regarding net access, access modalities and traffic management techniques by operators, in an effort to guarantee that the ban on undermining content for basic users is upheld; 4) provide network operators with the possibility of providing specialist services, alongside basic provision, on the condition that the specialist services do not replace basic services or produce discriminatory effects. (IL)