Based on a recent vote, the European Union is going to require that all internet providers treat online traffic the same, without discrimination. The ruling will effectively put an end to the “porn filters” that were put into place by British Prime Minister David Cameron.
The ruling will come into effect by the end of this year. The decision is part of a greater move by the European Union to achieve “net neutrality”, in which all web traffic is supposed to be treated in the same matter.
Based on the decision made by the European Union, fitlers that had prevented people from viewing internet porn will be removed. Previously, people in Europe were only able to view the pornography if they specifically “opted in”.
The European Union net neutrality ruling is also trying to reduce roaming charges across the continent. According to the legislation, all internet firms are required to treat traffic equally.
This means they are not allowed to discriminate, restrict or interfere with web traffic of any nature, regardless of how it is accessed or distributed.
Furthermore, online companies are not permitted to block access to specific content, unless that content is completely illegal, such as funding terrorist activities.
Based on these policies, web users have the right to access and distribute information of their choosing without restriction or interference.
The United Kingdom introduced filters for adult content in July of 2013. With these filters, web users had to “opt in” in order to view such material. The filters also applied to web content that was considered to be gruesomely violent. If the user did not “opt in”, the website would have been automatically blocked.
Meanwhile, the United States is also working to achieve net neutrality, as the Federal Communications Commission will soon vote on a plan that would require internet service providers to treat all web access in the same manner in order to provide consistent accessibility for internet users.
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