Critics warn that amendments to draft bill could sanction ‘slow internet’ in Brazil

Planned amendments to Brazil’s draft internet service bill, the Marco Civil da Internet, could sanction telecoms operators’ rights to limit internet speeds and access to certain services in the country, ZDNet reports. If the modifications to the draft bill are approved, telcos will effectively be given the legal backing to reduce connection speeds, it says, citing local newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo. The proposed amendment to the Senate bill – which has been delayed for years – has become something of a hot topic for the Brazilian government since news emerged that the US NSA may have been spying on the Brazilian public. Folha de Sao Paulo notes that whilst the changes run contrary to the spirit of internet neutrality (a core tenet of the original proposal), they are welcome news to telcos which argue that it will give them greater control over how the internet works in the country and that as a result, ‘they will be able to deliver higher quality services’.