Controversial UK internet laws a step closer
Proposals to introduce measures including a “three strikes” disconnection policy for illegal filesharers have passed their penultimate legal hurdle in the United Kingdom. The Digital Economy Bill has been passed by the Parliament’s upper chamber and looks set to be rushed through the lower chamber within the next few weeks.
The proposals include several particularly controversial measures:
- ISPs could be ordered to cut off access to users suspected of breaching copyright laws if they failed to heed two warnings. There is some dispute as to whether such a measure would be legal as those disconnected would not be able to challenge the action in court. It’s also argued that the wording of the proposed law would mean libraries or Internet cafes could be held responsible for the online activity of visitors.
- A government minister, currently Lord Mandelson (pictured), would be given extra powers to rewrite copyright rules without needing Parliamentary approval.
- The courts would be able to force ISPs to block access to sites which host copyright infringing material, a move critics have condemned as state censorship.
- A flat-rate duty would be imposed on telephone line rentals to raise money for subsidising broadband provision to areas which would otherwise be unprofitable.
As is often the case with legislation, the main fear of opponents is that measures introduced for laudable purposes could be misused. One example given is the possibility that major corporations wanting to shut down online criticism could make dubious allegations of copyright infringement to get the content removed, rather than pursuing legal action for libel. Another potential problem is that the rules on blocking sites with infringing material, which were added to the bill by opposition parties, could conceivably mean “legitimate” sites such as YouTube were blocked.
Critics also argue that the government is trying to get the proposals into law before the next election and not leaving enough time for full legislative scrutiny. With a potentially close election widely expected on 6 May, the bill would have to be passed by early April if it is to come into law.
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March 16th, 2010
Nice. ACTA creeps in. Let’s censor internet. In the eighties the industry said that it was dying because of cassette tapes. Then it was the CD writer. Then it was internet. But guess what? That industry is making more and more profit every year.
In France the three-strikes law was followed by more piracy, not less. People found other ways to exchange material. And the industry was hurt because file sharers happen to be people who also buy records online if they find something interesting.
These laws are not about piracy. Lobby groups are pushing their anti-sex, anti-porn, anti-blasphemy, anti-freedom and anti-anything agendas. If this is not going to work the argument is going to be ‘think about the children!!’ Deluded creeps.
Don’t have any organization take over control over freedom. Law enforcement is enough. Damn it, we already have ISP’s and phone companies recording every step and every call we make in several EU countries. There are national firewalls even, maintained by ISP’s, but it’s not enough. No. We need obscure organizations monitoring everybody, taking down users without any evidence or judge involved. Big brother.
Unacceptable.