Europe Moves Ahead on Internet Rules

[Commentary] American government officials and corporate executives are fond of reminding the world that the United States created the Internet. But right now Europe is taking the lead in protecting what makes the Internet great: its openness. Americans like to criticize for the often plodding decision-making process in Europe. But at least in the case of the Internet, lawmakers and regulators in Washington could learn something from their European counterparts. The vice president of the European Commission, Neelie Kroes, has said the Continent’s Internet rules should be finalized by the end of the year.