ADZ join European youth in its demand to keep the internet open

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Over 50 political youth organisations from 24 European countries offered a manifesto to the EUCouncil of Ministers on Monday, in which they demand the Council to keep the internet open by safeguarding net neutrality. The Council will discuss a new European telecom law in the coming days. For the first time in history, youth organisations from all over the continent and from all political families have united for a political cause. ADZ have already signed the manifesto.

Net neutrality in danger
The European Parliament and several EU-member states have already spoken out in favour of net neutrality, which prevents internet service providers (ISPs) from discriminating internet traffic. Multiple reports indicate that the EU-Council is opposing those efforts, to the dissatisfaction of the European youth. ISPs want to decide which websites their clients are allowed to visit. If telephone companies would decide who you are allowed to call, everyone would oppose it. The same principle should be applied to the internet, and that’s why we need a net neutrality law.

Unique cooperation
It never happened before that such a large coalition of youth organisations, from left to right, from liberal to conservative and from all corners of the European Union united behind a single message.The enormous support shows that the youth of Europe is willing to raise their voice to keep the internet open, without censorship or privacy infringement from ISPs. The Council of Ministers cannot ignore such a strong statement.” Recently, the USA approved a net neutrality law initiated by president Obama. The youth organisations are demanding Europe to follow up on that example.

ADZ are releasing this statement in order to make the Maltese public aware of this situation. ADZ would also like to invite other Maltese Youth Political Organisations to join and sign. he full text of the manifesto, including a list of all signatories, is available on the website www.youth4netneutrality.eu.

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