Two new developments on Internet use - but will they make it more user-friendly?
The European Parliament and the Council of Europe have both voted on new acts which will affect the rules of use for Internet in Europe. While the European Parliament voted to accept an amendment to the data protection and privacy bill that tackles the use of 'spam' (unsolicited e-mails) on 13 November, the Council of Europe had just adopted a treaty to define what constitutes cybercrime. The Parliament bill would mean that Internet users could opt in or opt out of receiving spam. Opt in would mean only receiving messages from financial permitted to send out such information. Opt out would mean the user would have to sign up with a register which collates all the names of those not wishing to receive spam. The amendment would also mean that 'cookies' (the files placed on users' computers by certain websites, often without the users' knowledge) could only be used by sites if the user gives their permission. This last element has caused concern among advertisers, particularly as one of the main uses of cookies is to help identify the way users navigate through a site, and in particular which advertisements they click on. Advertisers have pointed out that without cookies, re-registration of details would be necessary on some sites every time a user visited them. The Interactive advertising bureau (IAB) has already said it will lobby against the amendment before it gets a second reading at Parliament. Meanwhile, the Council of Europe's adoption of a treaty which standardises what constitutes cybercrime has been welcomed, but has also aroused concern over the powers it will give to police forces and the possible dangers to online privacy. It highlights fraud and child pornography among the crimes, and allows national police forces to ask their overseas counterparts to assist in investigations and even detain suspects. Member States will sign the treaty at a cybercrime conference taking place in Budapest on 23 November. Once at least five Council of Europe countries add their signatures to it, it comes into force, but will take years to be formally adopted and even longer to be fully integrated into national legislation. User groups representing hackers and online liberty groups claimed that it threatened democracy and asked for a revision of it - even though this final version is the 27th draft.