Tomorrow’s publication of the Commission’s Digital Single Market strategy will be a key moment in the drive to create an enhanced and competitive digital Europe,  open to operators of any size, nature and establishment. That said, the European Internet Services Providers Association (EuroISPA) believes it is paramount that policymakers remain focused of the necessity of an innovation-friendly liability environment for Internet intermediaries. Without such, we fear the strategy’s lofty ambitions will be jeopardised.

The commitments the DSM will make on topics such as copyright reform, the free flow of data, and cross-border e-commerce constitute positive steps. Indeed, as having been a key participator in policy discussions on many areas of the strategy for several years, EuroISPA welcomes the Commission’s ambitions.

Nonetheless, it is paramount that we take this moment to reflect on the legislative infrastructure that forms the basis of a truly digital single market in Europe. An innovation-friendly intermediary liability environment, as prescribed by the 2000 E-Commerce Directive, will define the strategy’s success. We welcome the Commission’s acceptance in the DSM strategy that the intermediary liability environment enshrined in the E-Commerce Directive “has underpinned the development of the Internet in Europe”.

However, we are concerned about the impending strategy’s proposals to tackle illegal content online. The use of concepts such as “due diligence” and “duty of care” suggest that Internet intermediaries (as opposed to law enforcement authorities) will be asked to perform value judgments concerning the legality of certain pieces of content on the Internet. Such a legislative environment would place unworkable obligations on intermediaries, and would undermine the role of the courts in determining disputes over competing rights.

EuroISPA President Oliver Süme said: “EuroISPA looks forward to working with EU policymakers to ensure the right legislative infrastructure is maintained. The existing EU intermediary liability ethos has allowed Europe to be innovative, connected and competitive in all things digital. By maintaining this ethos when implementing the DSM strategy, EU policymakers will have the best chance of unleashing the digital single market’s growth and jobs potential.“

New data on the performance of European Internet Hotlines has further highlighted their effectiveness as a means of fighting Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) online. The data, compiled by the INHOPE network of 51 Hotlines in 45 countries worldwide, point to an ever-improving reporting and takedown rate of illegal content.

In 2014, 98{326604f503d13f2b703ea6d6d6f2aff95b8843509e3b22769667493fe00ca42d} of verified reports of CSAM on the Internet were forwarded to law enforcement within 24 hours. This represents an 8{326604f503d13f2b703ea6d6d6f2aff95b8843509e3b22769667493fe00ca42d} increase since 2011, a notable improvement given the already impressive figures.

Moreover, the coordination of CSAM removal between Hotlines, law enforcement, and Internet Services Providers has continued its upward trend. 93{326604f503d13f2b703ea6d6d6f2aff95b8843509e3b22769667493fe00ca42d} of verified CSAM was removed from public access within 72 hours, a 13{326604f503d13f2b703ea6d6d6f2aff95b8843509e3b22769667493fe00ca42d} improvement on the previous year.

These latest INHOPE figures illustrate the essential role played by the global network of Internet Hotlines in ensuring the effectiveness of the Notice and Takedown mechanism. EuroISPA remains a proud partner of INHOPE, with the 2300 ISPs represented by EuroISPA cooperating with and supporting Hotlines to create a safer Internet environment for children. In addition to this, EuroISPA members in Germany, France, Ireland and Austria oversee the management of their countries’ national Hotlines.

EuroISPA Safer Internet committee Co-Chairs Carole Gay and Paul Durrant said, “These figures highlight how an integrated network of Hotlines is essential for coordinating the fight against CSAM, a fight that is not confined by national borders. 

It is essential that the European network of Hotlines remains strong, through sustainable European Commission co-funding. The fight against CSAM is a societal one; and industry cannot be expected to carry the burden alone.”

See a full overview of the INHOPE Hotline data for 2014

European Internet Services Providers Association (EuroISPA) Officer Innocenzo Genna has been elected as a new member of the European Internet Forum (EIF) Board of Management. In his new capacity, Mr Genna will help the European political leadership to develop policy that is responsive to the challenges of the worldwide digital transformation.

Mr Genna brings to the EIF board a depth of experience of working within the EU policymaking sphere. He is an expert of European regulation and policies in the areas of Internet, telecommunications and ICT. Having played a leading role in EuroISPA for over a decade, he has worked with various actors in the digital sphere to help create a legislative environment that encourages innovation and secures the fundamental open characteristics of the Internet.

The EIF is at the crossroads of policymaking, industry, and civil society, and as such serves as a crucial space where insightful discussions on digital policy can take place. Mr Genna’s EuroISPA experience is an asset in this regard, as through its transversal membership of 2300 firms along the Internet value chain, the association occupies a pivotal position in the European digital landscape.

EuroISPA Officer Innocenzo Genna said: “The next three years promise to be eventful ones for the Internet sector. At this time the work of the EIF is more important than ever, and it is essential that the Forum’s Board facilitates insightful discussions that can feed into policymaking.  Alongside my fellow Board members, I aim to optimise the Forum’s impact as Europe continues this digital transformation”

The very existence of Hotlines dedicated to fighting Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) on the Internet may come under threat in 2016. This will be the case if the European Parliament adopts its Resolution on the fight against CSAM in plenary this Wednesday without amending the glaring omission on supporting Hotlines. 

The European Internet Service Providers (EuroISPA) represents national hotlines in Ireland, France, Austria, and Germany. Hotlines are essential to the process of “notice and takedown”, as they provide the means for members of the public to alert ISPs to the presence of suspected CSAM on the Internet. Hotline operators are trained in all legal issues surrounding CSAM, and liaise directly with law enforcement and ISPs around the world to ensure a safer Internet environment.

With the volume and complexity of reports increasing each year and funding already cut to the bone, many national Hotlines face financial difficulty. Thus far, European Hotlines have been supported by European Commission funding. But with this funding set to end permanently in 2016, most Hotlines will not be able to meet operational costs and will simply disappear.

In a letter to MEPs last week, EuroISPA implored lawmakers to use the Resolution to launch a discussion with the European Commission and Member States to find solutions to the Hotline funding crisis. If this does not occur, the system of Hotlines which has proven so effective in the battle against CSAM, may collapse.

EuroISPA Safer Internet committee co-chair Carole Gay said: “For years, Hotlines have been leading the fight to end the abhorrence of child sexual abuse material on the Internet. Unless MEPs act to highlight the Hotline funding crisis in plenary this Wednesday, the whole Hotline system across Europe will come under threat.”

EuroISPA Safer Internet committee co-chair Paul Durrant said: “If the Resolution is adopted as stands, we will have the contradictory situation of a European Parliament supporting the fight against CSAM, while at the same time undermining the very existence of the most powerful tool in the battle against such content.”

Read the full EuroISPA letter to MEPs on the Resolution on the fight against CSAM: 1503_Motion_for_resolution_on_CSAM

The European Internet Service Providers Association (EuroISPA) has welcomed the results of the European Commission’s Digital Economy and Society Index, a study which further highlights the enabling role of the Internet sector across many areas of the European economy.

The report shows that 75{326604f503d13f2b703ea6d6d6f2aff95b8843509e3b22769667493fe00ca42d} of Europeans used the Internet on a regular basis in 2014, and that a growing number of citizens are using the Internet to access services traditionally confined to the offline world. Moreover, a growing number of European enterprises are opting to conduct business over the Internet, with increases in e-commerce (+1{326604f503d13f2b703ea6d6d6f2aff95b8843509e3b22769667493fe00ca42d}), e-invoicing (+1{326604f503d13f2b703ea6d6d6f2aff95b8843509e3b22769667493fe00ca42d}) and related web-based enterprise activities.

Indeed, the figures highlight how European citizens expect accessible content in the online sphere. In that context, EuroISPA welcomes Commissioner Ansip’s commitment in launching the Index to make it easier for Europeans to access digital content online. Geoblocking and an outdated copyright directive serve as barriers which need to be overcome to improve citizens’ online experience and enhance “digital Europe”.

Oliver Süme, EuroISPA President said “The Digital Economy and Society Index illustrates how the European economy has all the fundamentals to unlock immense digitally-driven growth in the coming years. The Internet sector has played, and will continue to play a key role in enabling various sectors of the European economy to exploit the benefits of digitalisation. With a growing number of Europeans using the Internet to conduct everything from banking to grocery shopping, the report’s figures point to the Internet sector’s role in facilitating Europe’s transition from a digital economy to an economy that has become digital”.

Read more:
The Digital Economy and Society Index