Friday, Apr 24, 2009    Text size: 

It's called Amendment 138, and it faces one final hurdle before being fully implemented. So far, it's passed muster with the European Parliament — the lower legislative branch of the European Union's government — and the European Commission — the executive branch.

The final hurdle is the European Council, the EU's highest legislative branch, roughly equivalent to the U.S. Senate. Its chances for passage rest with France, which to date has rejected the legislation at the behest of French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The exact language of the law gives the EU's member nations lots of latitude to enforce it, but its central message is clear: The governments should take steps to protect Internet users' privacy, property and right to surf online as they please.

According to online reports, "disinformation" has helped thwart its ultimate passage.

"The European citizens will remember this courageous stand," said Jérémie Zimmermann, co-founder of advocacy organization La Quadrature du Net. "Members of the European parliament honoured their mandates by standing courageously for citizens' rights and freedoms. This is one more blow to Nicolas Sarkozy's 'three strikes' … law in France, and a strong sign that nobody in Europe will want to pass such a stupid legislation going against progress, citizens' rights and common sense."