The EU has Passed a Law Allowing Blocking of Sites without a Court Order

The European Union voted and adopted a new law that gives additional powers to consumer regulators in the member states. The law, however, has a very broad definition that allows them to block access to Internet sites without the need for court permission, says MEP Julia Reda on her website.

Rida is a member of the German "pirate" party, and is among the most active opponents of the law. Speaking to Parliament before the vote on the law, she said that these measures are neither appropriate nor proportionate to ensure consumer safety and are without mandatory judicial oversight.

In theory, these powers should be used against fraudulent and counterfeit online stores or sites that do not return the money to users who have requested it. According to Reda, however, the lack of court involvement in the procedure means that regulators can abuse and providers have to build and maintain the infrastructure needed to block. All this means that it can also be used to impose censorship, says Reda. She has proposed amendments to the law to specify the powers of the regulators, but they have been rejected in the vote.

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