Internet Needs an Uncompromising "Marco Civil" in Brazil!

Submitted on 28 Oct 2013 - 11:07

Paris, 28 October 2013 — Major organizations from all around the world, defending free speech and freedoms online, signed this open letter initiated by La Quadrature du Net. It encourages for a swift adoption, in Brazil, of an uncompromising "Marco Civil de Internet" that would truly guarantee freedoms online. The vote is scheduled on Tuesday. (Your organization can still sign the letter, after its publication, by sending an email to signature (AT) laquadrature.net)

Update: the vote will be deferred until Tuesday, November 5 Wednesday, November 6.

Internet Needs an Uncompromising “Marco Civil” in Brazil!

The “Marco Civil da Internet” is a remarkably progressive legislative text to protect Internet and fundamental rights online in Brazil. It has been drafted through an unprecedented collaborative effort involving citizens. But for the past 3 years, it has remained stuck in Parliament, under heavy pressure by industry – mostly telecom – lobbies.

Recent revelations of massive illegal spying by the US on citizens worldwide, as well as on companies such as Petrobras, urged the president of Brazil Dilma Rousseff to put “Marco Civil” back on track in Parliament, in an emergency procedure.

The “Marco Civil”, guaranteeing Net Neutrality, protecting privacy and freedom of publication online, is more necessary than ever. If adopted, this law will be a model of what citizens and their representatives in all countries can do together to enable the development of a free and open Internet and protect freedoms online.

A corporate takeover of the text such as on the questions of copyright (paragraph 2 of art.15) would amount to empty the text of its meaning.

Provisions aiming at protecting privacy and preventing surveillance should be added and all measures which risk harming the possibility for citizens to collaborate on an international scale should be removed.

We encourage Brazilian citizens and Members of the Parliament to work towards adopting swiftly an uncompromising “Marco Civil”, consistent with its initial spirit, free from corporate influence, and that would truly guarantee freedoms online.

You can count on our support as such a law would be of global importance for the Internet!

Signatories: