Sdružení pro internetový rozvoj (SPIR)

For over 20 years, the Association for Internet Progress (SPIR) represents the most important players of the Czech Internet economy from among media publishers, media agencies and technology companies with an annual turnover of more than 37 billion Czech crowns (1.5 billion EUR). The services offered by SPIR members are used by over 90% of the population of the Czech Republic.

As an umbrella association of Czech online publishers, TVS, technological companies, advertising agencies and e-commerce players, we welcome the intention of the European Commission to propose a new regulation aiming to introduce a fair and effective tool for exchange of IoT data. Unfortunately, there seems to be a certain level of unclarity regarding the impact of the proposal on other types of data.

Filed in Czech · English published by the European Commission

For 20 years, the Association for Internet Progress (SPIR) has represented the most important players in the Czech Internet economy from among publishers, media agencies, and technology companies with a turnover of more than 37 billion crowns per year. The services offered by SPIR members are used by over 90% of the population of the Czech Republic.

We are very well aware of the unequal conditions European companies face in national, EU and global market due to the growing power of a small number of large platforms, and their network effects. Thus, we fully agree with the EC’s findings and the need to undertake necessary measures to ensure fair competition and real consumer choice, prevent self-preferencing of the dominant global platforms and increase…

SPIR welcomes the Commission's intention to simplify the EU's digital rules, ensuring they are effective and proportionate. Many of the current EU digital norms were adopted relatively recently, and together they provide a robust and complex regulatory environment.

SPIR (Association for Internet Progress) represents the most important Czech companies active in the digital industry and is a local certified self-regulatory body for AVMSD. As for the scope of the directive, our members provide local VoD services (TV broadcasters´ VoDs and video/interviews databases of press publishers) and local video-sharing platforms.

SPIR (the Association for Internet Progress) welcomes EC's dedication to fighting online child sexual abuse. We support the aim to ensure that technology is developed and used safely with special attention paid to protection of children and we share its vision of a responsible internet where children can explore online spaces safely.

Fraudulent online advertising is a very real issue that is likely to become more serious as AI technology advances. Not only do they result in financial loss for victims, they also erode public trust in politicians and the media. Despite the obligations set out in the DSA, several major social platforms (VLOPs) are clearly tolerating the widespread dissemination of fraudulent ads.

SPIR represents all the major local players active in the Czech advertising market, including agencies, adtech and publishers. In order to guarantee the effective implementation of the Regulation (EU) 2024/900, we established a working group dedicated to answering practical compliance questions, especially in the area of online advertising.

As an association representing (among other) publishers, news agencies and TV companies, we PERCEIVE the difficult situation of journalists in some of the EU member states. Therefore, we understand and support the objectives of the proposed directive against SLAPPs.

Filed in Czech · English published by the European Commission