SaveYourInternet

SaveYourInternet
Name	SaveYourInternet
Type	Advocacy campaign
Founded	2018
Area served	European Union
Focus	Copyright reform, digital rights, Internet policy

SaveYourInternet is a European advocacy campaign formed to oppose specific legislative proposals affecting online copyright and platform liability. The campaign mobilized digital rights organizations, political parties, cultural institutions, and citizen networks across the European Parliament, European Commission, and member states to influence debates on the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, particularly articles concerning platform liability and content filtering. It coordinated petitions, demonstrations, and lobbying during key votes in the European Parliament and national legislatures.

Background and Origins

SaveYourInternet emerged amid pan-European controversies around proposed amendments to the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market introduced by the European Commission and negotiated by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Early activity followed public debates triggered by high-profile interventions from figures associated with the European People's Party, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, and members of the European Conservatives and Reformists. Influences on its formation included campaigns surrounding the ACTA protests, the activism of Reporter ohne Grenzen, the advocacy of Electronic Frontier Foundation, and actions by NGOs such as European Digital Rights and LibertiesEU. Key dates coincided with plenary sessions in Strasbourg and committee votes in Brussels.

Objectives and Campaign Activities

The campaign’s stated objectives covered opposing mandatory upload filters and broadening exceptions for text and data mining, advocating for protections similar to those supported by Creative Commons, Wikimedia Foundation, and public institutions like the British Library and the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Activities included organizing online petitions, coalition letters from cultural institutions including the Royal Society and grassroots outreach via networks linked to Open Rights Group and Access Now. Tactical actions ranged from mobilizing constituents to contact Members of the European Parliament and staging protests in cities such as Berlin, Paris, Madrid, and Rome. The campaign collaborated with legal experts from universities including University College London, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and Humboldt University of Berlin to produce policy briefs cited during committee hearings.

Legal and Political Impact

SaveYourInternet influenced amendments debated during trilogue negotiations between the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council of the European Union. Its pressure contributed to parliamentary votes that shaped final language on liability provisions and copyright exceptions considered by rapporteurs including members of the Legal Affairs Committee (European Parliament). The campaign’s interventions were referenced during litigation strategies employed by stakeholders such as Google, YouTube, Facebook, and rights holders like Bertelsmann and Universal Music Group in subsequent national court challenges. Legislators from parties including The Greens–European Free Alliance, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party, and Social Democrats cited public mobilization in plenary speeches.

Public Reception and Criticism

Public responses ranged from broad support among digital rights communities to criticism from sectors of the creative industries. Supporters included activists from Article 19, academics from institutions like the University of Amsterdam and cultural advocates associated with Eurocities and municipal cultural departments in Amsterdam and Barcelona. Critics came from associations representing publishers and broadcasters such as the European Publishers Council, performing rights organizations like GEMA and PRS for Music, and trade bodies including the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Media coverage appeared in outlets from Der Spiegel and Le Monde to The Guardian and El País, reflecting polarized views between proponents of stricter copyright enforcement and defenders of permissive sharing norms championed by groups like Wikileaks supporters and open-access proponents at MIT.

Key Supporters and Opponents

Prominent supporters included European digital-rights coalitions and civil liberties groups, volunteer networks linked to Framasoft, and political caucuses within the European Parliament such as The Left. High-profile endorsements came from commentators and technologists associated with Tim Berners-Lee’s advocacy for an open web, academics tied to the Open Knowledge Foundation, and civic platforms like Change.org when hosting petitions. Opponents were largely industry associations and corporate actors including major record labels like Sony Music Entertainment, media conglomerates such as Bertelsmann, tech platform representatives from Google LLC and Facebook Inc. lobbyists, and some national cultural ministries that argued for stronger copyright safeguards.

Legacy and Continuing Influence

Although the contested directive advanced through EU institutions, SaveYourInternet affected subsequent policymaking, public awareness, and coalition-building practices. It contributed to enduring networks among NGOs, think tanks, and municipal actors that later coordinated on issues like platform regulation, data protection debates involving the General Data Protection Regulation, and initiatives engaging with the Council of Europe. The campaign’s model influenced later citizen mobilizations seen in debates over liability frameworks in jurisdictions outside the EU, including national reforms debated in Germany, France, and Italy and comparative discussions in the United Kingdom and United States. Its archives and campaign materials remain cited by scholars at institutions such as Oxford University and Sciences Po studying digital advocacy and legislative influence.

Category:Digital rights