The principle of net neutrality is officially in the Dutch law. The First Room has the new telecommunications Act, in which net neutrality is guaranteed, as adopted. Also the ‘cookieverbod’ by the Senate and supported.
The law Tuesday night without a vote and adopted, including net neutrality now a statutory warranty. That means that internet and telecom providers of internet services, for example Skype or WhatsApp, not to be allowed to burden or hinder. Want to do a majority of the senate for net neutrality.
It is going to be an exception that filtering at their own request. Some users would websites want to filter – for example, ideological or pedagogical motives, but not the technical skills to create websites to block, thus a majority of VVD, CDA, SP, ChristenUnie and SGP. That exception to the net neutrality would only be allowed after explicit consent of the subscribers, and only if, the isp there is no financial benefit.
The support of the First Room on net neutrality was about the lack of an exception not in the least fixed: Tuesday afternoon were several parties there concerned about. Minister of Economic Affairs Maxime Verhagen said Tuesday night to an exception to make, and will later this week a letter to the senate about the possibilities. After that commitment took a majority behind the bill.
May is the exception in a new bill captured. Verhagen cautioned, however, not to be able to guarantee that that bill really is. The current Second Chamber voted even against such an exception, although the Labour party initially accidentally agreed. May be decided by the Second Chamber after the elections on 12 september in a new composition.
Because the PvdA in the Second Chamber accidentally agreed with the exception, it is an unusual situation arise. Stemfouten can’t be undone, so there is a reparatiewet was necessary for the stemfout of the Labour party to work. That reparatiewet is, in contrast to the telecom law, not yet by the senate approved. Whether that happens depends somewhat on the satisfaction of the parties with the letter of Verhagen. Retrieves the reparatiewet not, net neutrality, anyway, exist. On 15 may, it is clear whether the reparatiewet is approved.
The netherlands is after Chile the second country in the world that net neutrality legally defined. European commissioner Neelie Kroes said the netneutraliteitregels rather ‘premature’ to find, because there is still no European consensus. Verhagen called the Dutch situation, however, ‘unique’, because a company – KPN – actually the point was to get services to block.
The new legislation also has no consequences for the blocking of websites by the court: there is an exception for court orders. The Pirate Bay blockade will not, therefore, as a result of the new telecom law to be undone.
The First Room is also behind the new cookie rules, also known as the “cookieverbod’. Websites that use cookies or use other technologies to internet users, according to the new rules in advance to ask permission. However, minister Verhagen and the senate agreed that a part of the new rules only in 2013. Only then applies the reverse burden of proof, which means that websites have to demonstrate that they adhere to the rules. Until then, the government must, on the contrary can prove to be allowed to occur.