The Council of Europe has called upon its 47 member states to promote and protect the free flow of information on the Internet, and to ensure that any blocking of content complies with human rights standards and does not interfere with international Internet traffic.
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted a Recommendation containing a set of principles for the free transboundary flow of information on the Internet, and has called on its 47 member states to ensure that they are reflected in regulatory frameworks and in practice. The principles underline the protection of the right to privacy, the right to freedom of expression and the right to assembly and association in compliance with Articles 8, 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Committee of Ministers asks states to ensure that any interference with Internet traffic within their territory should be carefully assessed in advance and not result in an unnecessary and disproportionate impact beyond their borders.
The recommendation also calls on states to encourage and facilitate the development of appropriate self-regulatory codes of conduct so that Internet stakeholders respect human rights, and to promote co-operation among them to develop and implement technical best practices.
In relation to services that store or process information in remote locations (cloud services), the recommendation underlines that states should safeguard the right to privacy and personal data protection.
In addition, states should engage in international dialogue to progressively develop shared norms with regard to emerging challenges in international policy, such as applicable law and competent jurisdiction in relation to freedom of expression cases and cloud services.