European Commission warns against Internet fragmentation

The internet must remain an open platform to ensure that it reaches its full potential for driving economic growth and innovation, according to the vice president for the Digital Agenda at the European Commission.

Neelie Kroes said at an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development event in Paris on Tuesday that any form of net neutrality based on censorship or self-interest from nations would have negative consequences.

"I know there are pressures - regulatory, political and economic - to 'fragment' the internet, often along national borders. Sometimes this results from legitimate concerns, like personal data protection, sometimes it's just plain censorship," she said. "But the internet's most important characteristic is its universality: in principle, every node can communicate with every other. This has important implications for innovation, plurality, democratic values, cohesion and economic growth."