The Malta Anti-ACTA group said today that the fact that new digital rights will be enshrined 'in the Constitution' was a positive step for Maltese society.

Nonetheless one still had to see what these digital rights would translate to in practice and the time frame for their implementation.

"These rights will only be effective if they guarantee basic freedoms, such as the right not to be disconnected from the internet, and the right not to have one's internet privacy violated. It is also important for any Constitutional amendment not to include elements which would unacceptably regulate the internet as a side effect."

Despite this positive step, the group said that opposition to the ACTA treaty was not based only on the issue of digital rights. Many concerns remained unaddressed, such as dangers to the availability of medicines for developing countries, as well as the disagreement with the present nature of intellectual property rights.

"The campaign against ACTA will thus continue, and representatives in the National and European Parliament are still being urged to reject the treaty." the group said.

The group held a protest against ACTA on Saturday morning. On Saturday afternoon, the prime minister said he had issued instructions for the drafting of a law to guarantee rights for internet users.

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