If you live in the European Union, you have probably heard about the planned European Copyright Reform, and you are probably aware of its controversial Article 13.

The so-called Proposal for a Directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market intends to introduce new regulations around copyright. Article 13 would add new liability rules for online content-sharing service providers. While previously, providers could act on content that infringed copyright upon receiving a notice, the proposed regulations would render providers accountable for content as soon as it has been uploaded.

Effectively, this would put providers into a position where they have to implement strict upload filters to prevent users from uploading content that may infringe on someone else's copyright. This is dangerous, and it puts free speech, the diversity of opinions, and the internet as a whole at risk.

Article 13 previously contained rules to exclude platforms younger than three years, generating revenue of less than €10 million or with fewer than 5 million active users. Last week, however, a new draft was published, and the proposal now only excludes platforms matching all three of those conditions.

This is shocking. If Article 13 became a reality, everyone who operates a platform for users to publish content for more than three years would be 100% liable for everything happening on that platform, including content the operators are not even aware of. This makes operating an alternative social network effectively impossible.

For more details about the planned copyright reform, and information on how you can help, please check out saveyourinternet.eu. This does not concern just diaspora* or your other favorite alternative social network. This concerns everyone. This is about health of the internet. Please #SaveYourInternet and fight against the #CensorshipMachine.

For reference, you will find below an open letter from diaspora* core team member Dennis Schubert, sent to those members of the European Parliament who currently support Article 13.