Internet memes are under threat: they can kill the defenders of copyright
Memes, remixes and other user-generated content can disappear from the Internet if they adopted the proposed EU amendments to the copyright law, experts warn.
Human rights activists actively protest against the Directive on copyright, which voting must pass the European Parliament later this month.
According to the authors, this document is supposed to protect copyright holders in the Internet age.
However, according to critics, the new law did not take into account how people actually interact with web content and can be a tool of censorship.
Directive copyright is an attempt to change the status of copyright on the Internet, in particular, to balance the relations between copyright holders and online platforms.
Article 13 stipulates that the administration of online platforms — including social networks — should take steps to ensure the functioning of the agreements with rights holders regarding the use of their works.
Critics say that in fact it will require the online platforms filtering all content posted by users — that would be an excessive restriction of the freedom of speech.