Memorandum by Miniclip.com
EU REGULATION OF
THE INTERNET
WOULD BE
DISASTROUS FOR
THE EU AND
ITS CITIZENS
EU regulation of the Internet would:
1. Cost the EU tremendous amounts of tax
revenue over the years.
2. Dampen the EU economically.
3. Cost the EU the biggest and quickest
opportunity it ever had to excel economically and socially. The
upside (unregulated) is enormous in terms of jobs and taxes to
be collected by the EU. The downside (regulated) of missing this
great opportunity is equally as huge.
4. The EU would watch as the rest of the
world surpasses it, economically, in new technology and social
well-being.
5. The EU would watch it's most creative
talent and most successful new business's (and tax base) leave
to other countries.
6. The next Google would not come from the
EU. The next big Internet companies will never be built in the
EU and never pay EU taxes.
Old style Television regulations cannot be "extended"
to new Internet technology
1. The Internet is not Television. The Internet
is not run by a small number of companies like television.
2. The Internet has global reach unlike
EU television. For example, Miniclip.com a UK company has more
customers outside the EU than in it. It would be impossible for
Miniclip.com and other EU websites to modify and supply regulated
content to EU countries while supplying normal content to the
rest of the world. The burden on all Internet companies and loss
of jobs and tax revenue would be enormous.
3. It is impossible to enforce regulations
on 100's of millions of content providers that range from companies,
to individuals to non EU companies and individuals. In the future
almost every Internet user will be a content provider and upload
their own content.
The reasons of the proposed legislation of the
Internet have already been met
Diversity
The Internet is already the most culturally
diverse medium in the EU. It is impossible to impose diversity
on something that is already diverse.
Advertising
Advertising on the Internet is self regulated.
If users feel there is too much or inappropriate advertising on
a website they notify the website to take down the advertising
or simply go to another website.
Protection of Children
The Internet is already way ahead of Television
in child protection technology. Website filtering software is
currently available to parents and schools and is now being used.
This is not true of Television (which is regulated) where parents
do not have software to block inappropriate content from there
children. Regulation of Television has failed to give Parents
software to protect their children from inappropriate television
programs.
November 2006
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