New EU Rulings Could Ban Memes: Destroying Internet as We Know It

(COMMON DREAMS) – As key legislative panel approves measure, experts say copyright directive poses an “imminent threat” to online users and the network itself

The European Union (EU) on Wednesday took a step toward enacting new internet copyright rules that experts warn pose “an imminent threat to the future of this global network” and threaten to create a “censorship machine.”

The Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) passed the Copyright Directive, which could now move to negotiations with EU member states ahead of a full vote by the European Parliament. Internet pioneers and digital rights activists are raising alarms about two aspects of the legislation, as The Verge explains: