The European Parliament Approves the Generalization of Automated Censorship

Tuesday, March 26, 2019, a dark day for online freedoms and for all those who take action every day to promote a free, open, neutral and, decentralized Internet, and who therefore fight against the dominance of the big multinational technology companies. 348 (against 274) Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), adopted the generalization of automated filtering of uploads. It's a hard blow, but April will remain mobilized for the future transposition into national law of the text and for the probable future reform of the Electronic Commerce Directive, the structuring principles of which were profoundly mistreated by the copyright directive.

Despite an incredible grassroots movement and an ever increasing number of substantiated position statements coming from a great variety of backgrounds—cultural, technical, legal, nonprofit and official institutions alike—in the end, MEPs approved the version that came out of the interinstitutional negociations and was defended by the rapporteur Axel Voss.

Suppression amendements of article 13 — now article 17 — were indeed tabled, but 317 MEPs (against 312) considered that they should not be put up for a vote, in spite of the deeply rooted disagreements concerning the provision. Indeed, the procedure does state that, before voting on possible amendements, MEPs must first agree to amending the text at all.

The "roll call" is available (in PDF format) for both votes—for the one on refusing any amendements and for the one on the directive itself. Sadly, only two French MEPs voted against the copyright directive, even though one of its articles institutionnalizes automated censorship: Marie-Christine Vergiat and Younous Omarjee of the GUE/NGL group. Many thanks to both of them ! The rest of their colleagues voted fot the texte, or abstained from voting.

Furthermore, among the votes tallied, there are only three French ones among the 312 in favor of holding a vote on article 13. On this same vote, among the 24 abstainees, four are French. We should note that "corrections to voting intentions" were later reported (see page 51). Corrections that mean that, normally, there would have had to be majority before a vote on the suppression amendments of article 13 could have been held. Two French MEPs stated that they had actually wanted to vote for the study of the amendments; their votes, however, were recorded as abstentions.

We won't forget the MEPs who considered it to be acceptable to entrust enforcement of copyright and the safeguarding (sic!) freedom of speech to automtated systems managed by privately owned entities. Voting positions of French MEPs are detailed below.

Even if the exclusion of free software "developing and sharing platforms" is enacted, article 2 (6), there is obviously no question we are to be satisfied by a text so strongly in conflict with the values of free sofware.

April will remain mobilized and thanks all those who acted against this text which threatens freedom.

French MEPs' votes

Vote on the directive

• For : Michèle ALLIOT-MARIE, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean ARTHUIS, Guillaume BALAS, Nicolas BAY, Pervenche BERÈS, Joëlle BERGERON, Dominique BILDE, Marie-Christine BOUTONNET, José BOVÉ, Steeve BRIOIS, Alain CADEC, Jean-Marie CAVADA, Aymeric CHAUPRADE, Jacques COLOMBIER, Thierry CORNILLET, Arnaud DANJEAN, Michel DANTIN, Rachida DATI, Angélique DELAHAYE, Geoffroy DIDIER, Mireille D'ORNANO, Karine GLOANEC MAURIN, Sylvie GODDYN, Bruno GOLLNISCH, Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Brice HORTEFEUX, Jean-François JALKH, France JAMET, Marc JOULAUD, Philippe JUVIN, Patricia LALONDE, Alain LAMASSOURE, Jérôme LAVRILLEUX, Gilles LEBRETON, Christelle LECHEVALIER, Patrick LE HYARIC, Philippe LOISEAU, Louis-Joseph MANSCOUR, Dominique MARTIN, Edouard MARTIN, Emmanuel MAUREL, Joëlle MÉLIN, Bernard MONOT, Sophie MONTEL, Nadine MORANO, Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER, Renaud MUSELIER, Vincent PEILLON, Franck PROUST, Christine REVAULT D'ALLONNES BONNEFOY, Dominique RIQUET, Robert ROCHEFORT, Virginie ROZIÈRE, Tokia SAÏFI, Anne SANDER, Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER, Isabelle THOMAS, Mylène TROSZCZYNSKI, Marie-Pierre VIEU
• Abstained : Karima DELLI, Yannick JADOT, Eva JOLY, Michèle RIVASI
• Against : Younous OMARJEE, Marie-Christine VERGIAT

Vote on whether or not to vote on article 13

• For : Younous OMARJEE, Marie-Christine VERGIAT, Bruno GOLLNISCH
• Abstained : Karima DELLI, Yannick JADOT, Eva JOLY, Michèle RIVASI. Note : Eva Joly et Michèle Rivasi ont indiqué unecorrection d'intention de vote, elles voulaient votre Pour
• Against : Michèle ALLIOT-MARIE, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean ARTHUIS, Guillaume BALAS, Nicolas BAY, Pervenche BERÈS, Joëlle BERGERON, Dominique BILDE, Marie-Christine BOUTONNET, José BOVÉ, Steeve BRIOIS, Alain CADEC, Jean-Marie CAVADA, Aymeric CHAUPRADE, Jacques COLOMBIER, Thierry CORNILLET, Arnaud DANJEAN, Michel DANTIN, Rachida DATI, Angélique DELAHAYE, Geoffroy DIDIER, Mireille D'ORNANO, Karine GLOANEC MAURIN, Sylvie GODDYN, Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Brice HORTEFEUX, Jean-François JALKH, France JAMET, Marc JOULAUD, Philippe JUVIN, Patricia LALONDE, Alain LAMASSOURE, Jérôme LAVRILLEUX, Gilles LEBRETON, Christelle LECHEVALIER, Patrick LE HYARIC, Philippe LOISEAU, Louis-Joseph MANSCOUR, Dominique MARTIN, Edouard MARTIN, Emmanuel MAUREL, Joëlle MÉLIN, Bernard MONOT, Sophie MONTEL, Nadine MORANO, Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER, Renaud MUSELIER, Vincent PEILLON, Franck PROUST, Christine REVAULT D'ALLONNES BONNEFOY, Dominique RIQUET, Robert ROCHEFORT, Virginie ROZIÈRE, Tokia SAÏFI, Anne SANDER, Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER, Isabelle THOMAS, Mylène TROSZCZYNSKI, Marie-Pierre VIEU