COUNCIL OF EUROPE DEFENDS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ON THE INTERNET.

PositionBrief Article

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, in a Declaration adopted on May 30, called for freedom of expression on the internet and condemned in particular the prior controls exercised by States on cyber content. Recalling the "basic right to freedom of expression and information" guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights (Article 10), the Committee of Ministers asked the Member States not to implement "prior controls" but rather to encourage the principle of self-regulation or co-regulation. "Public authorities should not, by means of general blocking or filtering measures, refuse the public access to information and other communication on the internet, regardless of frontiers," the Declaration says. However, it does not rule out the installation of "filters for the protection of minors", especially in places such as schools or libraries. The Committee of...

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