EU Promises Hands Off Internet

BRUSSELS, Belgium — In a move looked at with both skepticism and hope by many in the online world, officials at the European Union announced today that new broadcasting rules scheduled to hit Europe later this year will not include new regulations of the Internet.

The announcement came after officials at the EU met earlier this week to decide how audio and visual content on the Internet should be covered by EU broadcasting laws.

But while EU Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding said she had “no intention to regulate the Internet,” her comments at a broadcasting conference in Liverpool, England early Thursday left some broadcasters in doubt.

"Who in this room is in favor of child pornography on the new media?” she asked. “Who stands for the freedom to spread incitement to racial hatred on the new media?”

Reding added that child protection and hate speech rules should apply to Internet broadcasts, by default supporting the controversial plan to impose an EU-wide law over different mediums throughout Europe.

Many broadcasting companies, as well as Internet firms in Europe, are wary of such a law, convinced that any attempt to enforce content in the new “on-demand” world would be unrealistic at best and fascist at worst. Most of the concern voiced so far has argued unnecessary regulation would inhibit the market and create industry uncertainty throughout Europe’s online community.

"Our own research suggests that public expectations of BBC online content are very different from their expectation of what they see on BBC Television,” British Broadcasting Corporation director general Mark Thompson told reporters at a news conference Wednesday. “They simply do not feel they need, or want, the same level of protection."

Thompson added that the Internet should be allowed to regulate itself based on some form of popular consensus, not governmental regulation.

AOL Europe seems to concur with the idea of self-regulation. The company published a paper on the EU’s official website this week arguing common standards were already in place on the Internet.

"As AOL has demonstrated over a number of years, it is in our commercial interests to be a responsible self-regulating service provider," the paper said.

Several other major players in Europe’s online market agreed, including Yahoo! Europe. Representatives at Yahoo! posted a similar paper that proclaimed. the Internet was not “the Wild West,” and that all the major players in the online world already worked hand-in-hand with governments to track nefarious elements like child pornography.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Adult Networking Platform SpicyGigs.com Launches

SpicyGigs, a new adult industry networking platform, has officially launched.

Pineapple Support to Host 'Cream Pie Challenge' Fundraiser

Pineapple Support is hosting its Cream Pie Challenge through August to raise funds for mental health services for industry performers.

Kyrgyzstan President Signs Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday signed into law legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

NC Legislature Overrides Veto of Extreme Anti-Adult Industry Bill

The North Carolina state legislature on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill imposing regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most creators and content.

Report: VPN Downloads Soar in UK Following Age Verification Deadline

Virtual private network apps, which can be used to circumvent geo-specific age verification requirements, are topping Apple App Store downloads in the U.K. in the wake of new Online Safety Act rules, the BBC is reporting.

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

Show More