EDRI Statement and Call for Action on new CoE Rec. failing to uphold FoE

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Today EDRI issued a statement to express its serious concerns over a new
Council of Europe Recommendation on ‘promoting freedom of expression and
information in the new information and communications environment’.

According to EDRI, the newly adopted instrument promotes opaque
“self-regulation” and other soft law instruments driven by private interests
and implemented through technical mechanisms. EDRI considers this
Recommendation to be damaging and a retrograde step for freedom of
expression and freedom of the press in the online world. EDRI is deeply
concerned that such instruments will be used to legitimize subtle means of
censorship, through privatised censorship and measures to protect against
so-called harmful content.

As other related instruments are currently in preparation by the CoE, EDRI
calls for NGOs and groups from all over the world to sign up in support of
EDRI statement and take further action to help avoid the risk of more
damages to freedom of expression and information in the online world.

EDRI statement, call for action, and background information (10.10.2007)
http://www.edri.org/coerec200711

New Council of Europe Recommendation fails to uphold online freedom of
expression – European Digital Rights Statement and Call for
Action(10.10.2007) – PDF format
http://www.edri.org/files/EDRI-coerec200711.pdf