European Parliament Approves Controversial Copyright Reform Despite Mass Protests
The European Parliament passes a divisive copyright overhaul that holds platforms liable for user uploads, ignoring massive public opposition and narrow rejections of key amendments.
The European Parliament votes to pass a controversial reform of online copyright rules that critics claim forces big tech platforms to pre-filter user-generated content. The final vote results in 348 in favor and 274 against, solidifying the legislation after months of closed-door negotiations between EU institutions.
An amendment that could have removed the most debated component, Article 13, fails by just five votes. This specific rule makes platforms directly liable for copyright infringements committed by their users, requiring larger platforms to obtain licenses for certain types of protected content ahead of time.
Despite large-scale public backlash, including weekend demonstrations of 200,000 people and a five-million-signature petition, the parliament moves forward with the directive. Pirate Party MEP Julia Reda condemns the decision, warning that ignoring these unprecedented protests risks convincing a new generation of voters that democratic engagement is pointless.