EU wants to regulate blogs

The internet has always been a place to express freedom of speech. Social media has been a revolution helping us share information, communicate and connect to other people. Blogging is an important part of that. On that matter, what about forums, twitter, youtube, Flickr,... ?

I read some information on various blogs today that I didn't like that much. As Obiwan said: "I feel a great disturbance in the Force.

Sources:

• EU bloggers under assault by the European Parliament - they need your help (Stillsecure blog)
  
• LVB.net blog in Dutch with a lot of comments.
• EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WANTS TO TAKE ON BLOGGERS (Belsec)
  

Original report from European Parliament. Rapporteur: Marianne Mikko, 7 maart 2008 [PDF]

You should really read this report for yourself. After reading the report. I'm still not convinced if some of the comments are for good or for bad (trying to think positive, maybe I'm a bit naive). More clarification is needed. Here the press has some legal protection, bloggers do not. (Most) bloggers are not press and this topic was discussed by others:

• Bloggers & Journalists redux: Separate, but equal? (Lori MacVittie)
• "Press" Blogging 101: Introduction (Lori MacVittie)
• "Press" Blogging 101: Internal and External PR (Lori MacVittie)
• "Press" Blogging 101: Confidentiality (Lori MacVittie)
• "Press" Blogging 101: Citations, Attributions, and Plagiarism (Lori MacVittie)
• Disclosing in a public forum is not whistle blowing (Network Security Blog)

(Picture under Creative Commons courtesy of Flickr)