Virgin Media backtracks over illegal file-sharing BPI warning letters
By Dave Parrack
It’s been known for quite a few months that Virgin media was going to become the first ISP in the UK to keep tabs on what its broadband customers were doing online. Letters starting being sent out to alleged illegal file-sharing offenders recently but the wording of the warning was more harsh than expected by both the recipients and even the company itself.
This latest effort to weed out illegal file-sharers in the UK started back in October of last year, with the record industry, through its spokesperson and drum-beater, the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) asking ISPs to start watching what their customers download in order catch people out who flagrantly flout the law.
While most ISPs stated that they wouldn’t have anything to do with the scheme, and refused to spy on their customers, Virgin Media decided to roll over and die to the demands. Not surprising really when you consider that back in April, the CEO of the company called net neutrality “a load of bollocks”.
Virgin Media stated its intentions to start policing the Internet in March, and by early June, full details of the plans were revealed. There were to be letters sent out to people flagged as illegal file-sharers warning them against their behaviour. This was claimed at the time to be an educational campaign.
The first batch of 800 letters has now been sent out and received by Virgin Media customers and the wording of the letters sounds more threatening than educational. According to the BBC, the letter was sent in an envelope containing the following warning:
Important. If you don’t read this, your broadband could be disconnected.
That is clearly a direct threat to cut alleged file-sharers off, and is hardly what you’d expect from a campaign to educate rather than convict. And now we have a divergence of opinion from Virgin Media and the BPI. Asam Ahmad from Virgin said:
It is important to let our customers know that their accounts have been used in a certain way but we are happy to accept it may not be the account holder that’s involved.
It could be someone else in the family or someone living in a shared house. It could even be someone stealing wi-fi. We are not making any form of accusation.
Which is fine, although as the letters, including the wording, came from Virgin Media, surely the company had the final say on the tone of the letter? BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor, on the other hand, has promised the campaign will be backed up with legal action if necessary. What’s more, the BPI will reportedly be sending out thousands more letters to the 3.8 million or so Internet customers Virgin Media has.
The BPI seem intent on carrying on along this path of targeting individuals it claims have broken the law, while the ISPs are no supporting such a move. Even Virgin Media seems to changing its mind after seeing the reactions to the letters from once loyal customers. It’s not nice to be labelled as a criminal, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Virgin media loses business over this.
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July 3rd, 2008
this is totaly wrong i have been a virgin customer for quite a few years and have never heard such crap , i will definetly be taking my custom to a TRUSTED isp
we have programs toget rid of spyware , how can we get rid of our isp,s for doing the same ?
July 5th, 2008
Dave, you allege that Virgin has “rolled over” in response to the BPI.
Perhaps you forgot that long before the airline or the telco, Virgin started life as a record company. Its first release was Mike Oldfield’s iconic debut album “Tubular Bells”. As far as I am aware, Virgin is still involved in the recording business.
Given that Virgin also runs a large international retail enterprise of music stores, it’s entirely possible that they may actually be members of the BPI, or have close affiliation to it.
Therefore it’s hardly surprising they have chosen to act in the manner detailed in the article above.
Having said that, I definitely DO NOT condone their actions. I agree with kerry in voting with one’s feet.
Maybe a mass exodus of clietele may make them release that spying on one’s customers can only be seen as a massive betrayal of trust.
July 7th, 2008
What a really poor piece of reportage, and I use that word carefully.
There are so many glaring mistakes, I have to wonder if this is a hotch-potch of other articles, picking out the bones to make some personal agenda hybrid.
I quote you:
“What’s more, the BPI will reportedly be sending out thousands more letters to the 3.8 million or so Internet customers Virgin Media has.”
The BPI have not sent out one single letter, they are sent out by Virgin Media, as only they know who the customers are.
You even allude to that yourself in your previous paragraph. Dear me!
Also:
“While most ISPs stated that they wouldn’t have anything to do with the scheme, and refused to spy on their customers….”
What spying? The BPI are doing all the leg work, easily trawling through open file shares with IP addresses ablaze waiting to announce their owners to the controlling networks. You should really look at a full torrent program, legally for research purposes of course.
I think more could have been done here, rather than use this article as a soap box for a personal agenda.