The proposal of the new #EU #DigitalNetworksAct #DNA has been postponed to 20 January 2026.
I consider this a good thing.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=SEC(2025)2543&lang=en
@Fedihacker @heiseonlineenglish No, unfortunately this article is partly wrong. Its headline refers to "billions in fines," which is not at all what the #DigitalNetworksAct is about. Also, Heise's Reuters source says nothing about fines.
What Reuters says is that the EC will likely not force #BigTech to pay EU telcos for transmitting data over, you know, the internet.
This (previously planned) #NetworkFee or #UnfairShare has always been a bad idea. And that is @heiseonline's second mistake:
The proposal of the new #EU #DigitalNetworksAct #DNA has been postponed to 20 January 2026.
I consider this a good thing.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=SEC(2025)2543&lang=en
Populäre Internet-Dienste wie Netflix und YouTube sollen sich am europäischen Breitbandausbau beteiligen, fordern große Netzbetreiber. Die umstrittene Idee stößt vor allem beim französischen EU-Kommissar Thierry Breton auf offene Ohren. Bislang liegt noch kein Gesetzentwurf vor – aber der Schaden ist bereits weltweit angerichtet.
Seriously, @TheProgressives and in particular René @repasi, why did you just endorse shooting down #netneutrality by supporting the #UnfairShare #NetworkFee in the Parliament's Competition Report?
Despite all independent experts saying it's a bad idea.
Despite regulators saying it's a bad idea.
Despite your own S&D policy position saying it's a bad idea.
https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/sites/default/files/2023-02/SD_digital_position_paper_en_230208.pdf
Note to @EC_Commissioner_Breton:
"A large majority of [EU] member countries rejected the idea of splitting the costs of the #networks with content providers" due to "the lack of a fact-based approach or evidence of an #investment gap, the risk of driving up prices and the risk to net neutrality. “Let’s not overreact to non-existent market failure,” reportedly argued Germany." (Politico)
#Vodafone Group, the global #telecoms corp with 2022 net profits of 2.6 billion EUR, fires 11,000 employees over the next 3 years.
Let me guess: next move is to tell the #EU #Commission that the telco industry is poor and under stress and requires direct payments from content providers. #UnfairShare #NetworkFee #NetNeutrality #Lobbying #FairShare
Sources: https://www.golem.de/news/quartalsbericht-vodafone-group-wird-11-000-arbeitsplaetze-streichen-2305-174219.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodafone
It's crazy how the #telecoms industry literally *owns* the networks and yet constantly whines about how "we" are "falling short" of making them better.
It's *their* private networks, why should the public aka "we" do the investment? We already pay telcos monthly subscription fees for using them.
"For over a decade now, European #telecommunication network operators have devoted their #lobbying efforts to trying to reclaim their former glory and reintroduce their #monopoly power."
https://techpolicy.press/why-is-the-european-commission-so-determined-to-ruin-the-open-internet/
Excellent write-up by @kkomaitis and @socialhack on #UnfairShare, #NetNeutrality and how an ex-telco CEO turned powerful Commissioner wants to remodel the internet.
They say
“Never attribute to malice that which Is adequately explained by stupidity”
In EU policymaking, like #unfairshare,” #copyright and “#chatcontrol”, politicians maliciously choose ignorance. It isn’t malice or stupidity, it is both.
And fighting it is exhausting.