statism watch

Under the guise of fighting ‘piracy‘ and ‘cyber-terrorism‘,  the free Internet is being slowly disassembled, your access to information incrementally restricted, your privacy stripped away.

Flashback: UK: 70% oppose internet ban for filesharers, poll shows | Security boss calls for end to net anonymity | UN Urges International Action on Cyber Security Threat | Judge in Pirate Bay Appeal Removed for Bias | MP Charlie Angus on copyright: industry lobby pulling for ‘dead business model’ | UK Government to consider internet disconnection policy, restrictions | The dawn of Internet censorship in Germany | Pirate Bay Retrial Denied | Stockholm Court: Pirate Bay Judge ‘Unbiased’ | Next up for France: police keyloggers and Web censorship | France passes ‘three strikes’ Internet surveillance law | Pirate Bay lawyer calls for retrial after judge confirms ties to copyright groups | Jail terms for Pirate Bay founders, appeal in works | Cybersecurity law would give feds unprecedented net control | Do We Need a New Internet? | Protests in Australia over proposal to block Web sites | Microsoft patents web moderator robots, forbidden phrases to be memory-holed | Berners-Lee W3C Consortium to ‘Authorize’ Website Content? | Law Professor tells tech conference: plans to shut down Internet already on deck | Canada Considering “Three Strikes and You’re Out” ISP Policy

BBC News
October 23, 2009

The European Parliament has given the green light for member states to cut persistent file-sharers off from the net.

It has dropped an amendment to its Telcoms Package which would have made it hard for countries to cut off pirates without court authority.

It follows pressure from countries keen to adopt tough anti-piracy laws.

The French government has just approved plans which could see pirates removed from the net for up to a year.

The UK’s file-sharing policy is also likely to include a clause about disconnecting persistent offenders.

An amendment to the European Parliament’s forthcoming telecoms legislation was designed to protect citizens against being automatically cut off from the net.

Amendment 138 read: “Any such measures liable to restrict those fundamental rights or freedoms may only be taken in exceptional circumstances…and shall be subject to adequate procedural safeguards in conformity with the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights.. including effective judicial protection and due process.”

Dropping it effectively means that individual countries would be able to ask internet service providers to remove users deemed to be persistent pirates without needing a prior court order.

Persistent Problem

There has been much debate around Europe as to whether internet access is a fundamental right.

The European Parliament has already adopted a provision stating that internet access is “critical for the practical exercise of a wide array of fundamental rights”.

UK prime minister Gordon Brown has said that people are as entitled to internet access as to gas, water and electricity.

At the same time Business Secretary Peter Mandelson has moved to toughen up anti-piracy legislation to include the ability to remove persistent file-sharers from the net.

According to figures from analyst firm Forrester, 14% of European internet users engage in illegal file-sharing.

Legislation may not be the answer, thinks Forrester analyst Mark Mulligan.

“Piracy will not be solved by legislation alone. Without compelling services piracy will not be beaten,” he said.

There have been a flurry of announcements about legitimate services in recent months, including Sky’s SkyTunes service and tie-ups between the likes of internet service provider CarphoneWarehouse and music service Napster.

New methods

Peer-to-peer networks are likely to be the main targets of any anti-piracy legislation.

At network level, internet service providers are able, if asked, to identify the particular machines from which music or other content is being illegally downloaded.

But non-network piracy methods, including using instant messaging, e-mail, music blogs, bluetooth and iPod ripping, are on the rise.

It is likely that legislation will be too slow to catch pirates, thinks Mr Mulligan.

“Technology just moves quicker. Already we are seeing around 20 different alternatives to peer-to-peer piracy,” he said.

This week France’s constitutional court approved its revised anti-piracy plans.

The proposed legislation operates under a “three strikes” system. A new state agency would first send illegal file-sharers a warning e-mail, then a letter and finally cut off their connection if they were caught a third time.

Under the revised law, a judge must rule on the issue of whether to disconnect users.

The UK’s policy on file-sharing is due to be revealed next month.

Source | See also under Internet: CRTC allows network throttling as ‘last resort’, encourages pay per use, bandwidth caps | UK: 70% oppose internet ban for filesharers, poll shows | Security boss calls for end to net anonymity | UN Urges International Action on Cyber Security Threat | Think before you post, privacy czar says | Judge in Pirate Bay Appeal Removed for Bias | Case for Internet spying not closed | US ‘to loosen’ grip on internet | U.S. moves to adopt 6 net neutrality rules | Tech giants respond to Media with ideas on charging readers for news online | Planned Internet, wireless surveillance laws worry watchdogs | Six Days Left: Canadian Net Users Caught As Copyright Consultation Nears Conclusion | Chamber of commerce draws fire for backing Bell, Telus on Net reseller speed limits | It’s a great day for freedom of speech: ‘Hate Speech’ laws found to violate Charter Rights | Keeping Google out of libraries | Cyber Bullying Case Officially Dismissed for Vagueness | MP Charlie Angus on copyright: industry lobby pulling for ‘dead business model’ | Ottawa denies altering public’s ECopyright Consultation submissions | Security guards stop MPs, students from distributing fair use flyers at Toronto copyright townhall | Bill would give president emergency control of Internet | Bush’s Search Policy For Travelers Is Kept | ACLU Sues US Department of Homeland Security over Border Laptop Searches | Facebook to make privacy changes, keep user data indefinitely if not deleted | UK Government to consider internet disconnection policy, restrictions | CRTC wants internet pricing answers from Bell | Reuters Steps Up; Says Linking, Excerpting, Sharing Are Good Things For The News | Former copyright lobbyist is Obama’s top pick for US Attorney | UK ISPs condemn Internet surveillance plans | Can The Public Be Heard On Copyright Issues? | Associated Press Tries To DRM The News | iPods, Internet won’t end dictatorship | Copyright Consultation Launches: Time For Canadians To Speak Out | Third stab at copyright law ‘reform’ to kick off with consultations | Facebook violates privacy law: watchdog | Cyber Attacks Traced to the U.S., Britain | Don’t regulate traffic management, Internet providers argue | Yahoo! protects user privacy — and gets fined by Belgium | French Senate passes revamped ‘anti-piracy’ bill | Lazy Hacker and Little Worm Set Off Korean Cyberwar Media Frenzy | Net Neutrality hearings begin with conflicting claims | Internet speed control faces scrutiny at CRTC hearings | Murdoch CEO Labels Bloggers “Political Extremists” | Should linking be illegal? | Psiphon braintrust: Ottawa needs a strategy for cyberwar | US ‘concerned’ over cyber threat | Pirate Bay Retrial Denied | UK to found new ‘cyber-security’ units attached to national eavesdropping centre | US Cyber Security Czar Front-Runner No Friend of Privacy | ISPs must help police snoop on internet under new bill | The dawn of Internet censorship in Germany | Twitter emerges as news source during Iran media crackdown | UK plans to integrate ‘cybersecurity’ centre with US, Canada | Prepare to be boarded! Pirate Party wins entry to European Parliament | Stockholm Court: Pirate Bay Judge ‘Unbiased’ | Time to slay Canadian file-sharing myths | CRTC keeps new media exempt from broadcasting regulation | Canadian copyright lobbyists leaned on “independent” researchers to change report on file-sharing | China begins internet ‘blackout’ ahead of Tiananmen anniversary | UK chases Obama on cybersecurity | Cybersecurity Is Framework For Total Government Regulation & Control Of Our Lives | Think tank plagiarizes, pulls report on Canadian piracy | Obama Set to Create A Cybersecurity Czar With Broad Mandate | Next up for France: police keyloggers and Web censorship | France passes ‘three strikes’ Internet surveillance law | Canadian Parliament Threatens People For Posting Video Of Proceedings Online | EU wants ‘Internet G12′ to govern cyberspace | UK Home Secretary has secret plan to surveil, ‘Master the Internet’ | UK wants industry to track Internet users as plans scrapped for state database | Fredericton police arrest well-known N.B. blogger on legislature grounds | Pirate Bay lawyer calls for retrial after judge confirms ties to copyright groups | Jail terms for Pirate Bay founders, appeal in works | French legislators reject internet piracy bill | Put NSA in Charge of Cyber Security, Or the Power Grid Gets It | Electricity Grid in U.S. Penetrated By Spies | Pentagon spending millions to fix cyberattacks | Aussies Announce $31B National Broadband Network | Britons block Google Street View van | Should Obama Control the Internet? | Cybersecurity law would give feds unprecedented net control | Munk Centre researchers discover botnet, call for international cyberspace ‘legal regime’ | Google Street View comes to Canada | In Australia, censored hyperlinks could cost you | ISOHunt points out Google, Yahoo torrent engines too | Obama Administration Claims Copyright Treaty Involves State Secrets | Internet ad tracking system will put a ’spy camera’ in the homes of millions, warns founder of the web | French government accused of ‘Big Brother’ tactics over internet piracy | Australian web censorship plan to begin trial despite house opposition | Time to regulate online content, cultural groups tell CRTC | Facebook’s Users Ask Who Owns Information | Do We Need a New Internet? | New law to give police access to online exchanges | Chinese Learn Limits of Online Freedom as the Filter Tightens | Britain unveils plans for nationalized internet service | Google plans to make PCs history | EU Police set to step up warrantless hacking of home PCs | Defense Contractors See $$$ in Cyber Security | UK Culture secretary wants international age restrictions for web | Protests in Australia over proposal to block Web sites | Latest Round of Closed-Door ACTA Copyright Negotiations Wrap Up | China restarts online crackdown | CRTC Internet regulation proposals take shape | Cyberbullying verdict turns rule-breakers into criminals | Felony hacking precedent not set in case of Myspace cyberbully | Myspace terms of use could become fulcrum for destruction of online anonymity in precedent setting case | Bell can squeeze downloads, CRTC rules | Australia to Implement Mandatory Internet Censorship | Microsoft patents web moderator robots, forbidden phrases to be memory-holed | CRTC to consider Internet regulation, invites public comment | RCMP to helm a Canadian “cyber-security strategy” | Is an Internet tax coming? | Italian Judge: Blogs are Illegal | Digital rights groups sue for access to secret ACTA treaty | Berners-Lee W3C Consortium to ‘Authorize’ Website Content? | Digital issues deserve spot in election campaign | Critics waging a cyber offensive to fight copyright changes | Law Professor tells tech conference: plans to shut down Internet already on deck | Bell continues throttling Internet, proposes bandwidth caps for resellers | Rogers Looks For New Ways To Annoy Customers, Hijacks Failed DNS Lookups | MySpace signs up to OpenID scheme | Vint Cerf blasts ISPs for choking off internet infrastructure | Bell’s internet throttling illegal, Google says | Canadian Industry Minister lies about Canadian DMCA on national radio, then hangs up | The Canadian DMCA: Check the Fine Print | Government ready to drop copyright bomb | Transparency needed on ACTA | Net neutrality bill hits House of Commons | Revamped copyright law targets electronic devices | New Attempt to Align Canada’s Copyright Act with USA Coming Soon | CRTC revisits Internet oversight | Bell accused of privacy invasion | Canada Considering “Three Strikes and You’re Out” ISP Policy | Canadian DMCA To Be Introduced Tomorrow Morning?

This entry was posted on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 4:58 pm and is filed under media, prohibitions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.