The European Parliament’s decision to approve two articles in the name of copyright protection sets a worrying precedent for our digital rights and threatens the fundamental freedom of expression by emboldening the surveillance state.

The vote in favour of the EU copyright directive attracted an unsettling majority of 438 to 226. EU Parliamentarians in favour of the law argue it simply updates online copyright laws for the new internet age, allowing artists and journalists to be paid when their work is used by sharing platforms while preventing users from sharing unlicensed copyrighted material.