Who chose your vacation?

The dangers and pitfalls of surveillance advertising

 Posted on September 30, 2021  |  4 minutes  |  693 words  |  Marcel Kolaja  • Other languages: cs

Had you been choosing where to go on vacation this year and since then, advertisement for the best vacation—whether in Europe or overseas—was popping up at you during every action on-line? That happens due to so-called targeted, surveillance advertising. Its advertisers and intermediaries know everything about you. How old you are, where you live, what your hobbies are, what pages you’re browsing, and also that you are planning your vacation. I consider widespread on-line surveillance unacceptable. [Read More]
Digital Services Act  Digital Markets Act  disinformation  surveillance advertising  transparency 

Internet users beware

With new European legislation, changes are coming that will interest you

 Posted on May 31, 2021  |  6 minutes  |  1136 words  |  Marcel Kolaja

With the current pandemic, the time we spend on the Internet has increased. Every day, we are on social networks or we use one of the thousands of on-line services, such as on-line market places or file sharing platforms. Anyway, the main legislation setting the rules in this area has remained mostly unchanged for more than two decades. The Digital Services Act should help us to face the challenges of the present. [Read More]
content moderation  COVID-19  Digital Services Act  disinformation  hate speech  notice and action 

The Internet needs a fundamental change

What will the new rules bring?

 Posted on March 10, 2021  |  3 minutes  |  432 words  |  Marcel Kolaja  • Other languages: cs

The digital space in Europe has remained the same since the beginning of the new millennium. In the meantime, a number of services have appeared to help us find information, watch videos, keep in touch with friends, or find the partner of our dreams. Words such as algorithms, targeted advertising, personal data protection, or communication encryption are increasingly seeping into public space. Politicians, experts, academics, and the public call for regulation of dominant platforms, such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter. [Read More]
censorship  content moderation  cyber security  Digital Services Act  Digital Markets Act 

Greens/EFA proposal for Notice and Action

 Posted on December 15, 2020  |  3 minutes  |  627 words  |  Marcel Kolaja

What is the aim of our proposal? The Internet is an empowering tool that allows us to communicate globally, meet each other, build networks, join forces, access information and culture, and express and spread political opinions. Unfortunately, platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok filter and moderate with a lot of collateral damage: too often, hateful content—especially targeting minority groups—remains on-line. On the other hand, legitimate posts, videos, accounts, and ads are removed, and the platforms make it difficult to contest. [Read More]
content moderation  Digital Services Act  hate speech  notice and action 

A Christmas gift

Proposal for future Internet regulation

 Posted on December 11, 2020  |  2 minutes  |  276 words  |  Marcel Kolaja

On December 15, the European Commission will issue a proposal for legislation which will govern the use of Internet services that we use every day (social networks, e-commerce platforms, file hosting, sharing services, and similar). The proposal will be sent to the Parliament and to the Council to amend it. Situation in the Parliament In the meantime, the Parliament has already adopted its preliminary political views (not legally binding) on how the future Internet legislation should look like. [Read More]
Digital Services Act  interoperability  notice and action 

Position of the European Parliament on the Digital Services Act

Acceptable with reservations

 Posted on November 4, 2020  |  4 minutes  |  683 words  |  Marcel Kolaja

Last month, the European Parliament voted on the Saliba report on the Digital Services Act. Overall, it’s an acceptable compromise that takes on board many of the suggestions I tabled. Having said that, some parts of the text could be improved. Let’s take a look at the particular components of the approved report. What it means for the future of the Internet From the user point of view, numerous aspects are crucial. [Read More]
Digital Services Act  interoperability  notice and action 

Introducing: My content, my rights

 Posted on October 26, 2020  |  2 minutes  |  221 words  |  Marcel Kolaja  • Other languages: cs

In preparation for the upcoming Digital Services Act legislative proposal, we launched a campaign with my political group: My content, my rights. What is it about? The campaign aims at addressing the specific issue of unfair on-line account blocking and removal by on-line platforms. If you ever felt your rights were violated, share your experience on our take-down wall of shame, and empower yourself by contributing to the future European rules for user rights and big tech. [Read More]
Digital Services Act  notice and action 

Digital Services Act

My amendments to the Saliba draft report

 Posted on May 23, 2020  |  1 minutes  |  211 words  |  Marcel Kolaja  • Other languages: cs

In my previous blog post, I analyzed the new Digital Services Act draft report from Alex Agius Saliba, which will serve as one of the main reports for the Parliament opinion on the future Internet regulation governing platforms behavior towards illegal content on-line. Last week, I filed amendments (1, 2) in order to remedy the problems with the report. Anything new? While correcting the issues mentioned in my previous post, I also included some new additions: [Read More]
content moderation  Digital Services Act  hate speech  interoperability 

Parliament's voice in shaping the future Internet regulation

Loud and clear on the Digital Services Act

 Posted on May 20, 2020  |  4 minutes  |  782 words  |  Marcel Kolaja  • Other languages: cs

The Digital Services Act is expected to be one of the most important pieces of legislation in this parliamentary term, enhancing the liability and safety regime of Internet platforms, services, and on-line marketplaces. Since the recovery plan of the European economy after COVID-19 crisis stands on two pillars—the Green New Deal and digitization—the urgent necessity to draft this act just right is our major task for the following months. This legislation will update the 2000s Directive on Electronic Commerce, which defined levels of protection of rights and freedoms on-line and how intermediaries—such as social media or search engines—govern users activities on their platforms. [Read More]
COVID-19  content moderation  Digital Services Act  interoperability  notice and action 

Lessons learned from the Avia law

Warning: French on-line hate speech law to be adopted tomorrow!

 Posted on May 12, 2020  |  3 minutes  |  562 words  |  Marcel Kolaja  • Other languages: cs, de

While the European Union is about to start the process leading to the adoption of the Digital Services Act, a.k.a. the future Internet regulation, France—as one of the most powerful countries in the Council—proceeds with its own legislation. On May 13, the French Avia law governing platforms conduct regarding hate speech on-line, shall get adopted in the final reading. The text has been voted previously in the Assemblée Nationale. The original text The draft law, as originally proposed and notified to the Commission, introduces extremely strict rules on on-line platforms (i. [Read More]
content moderation  Digital Services Act  hate speech