Digital Economy Bill Passes another Roadblock
The government had recently introduced the Digital Economy Bill as an attempt to check internet piracy and illegal downloading. The bill involves measures to track the IP addresses of users who are connected to torrents or file sharing sites.
Tracking IP addresses of the users will however force Internet service providers to become copyright police. They will be required to provide a list of copyright violators and issue warning letters. If violators continue illegal downloading even after repeated warnings then their internet service will be discontinued.
Human rights groups, consumer watchdogs and broadband providers have heavily criticized this bill as the measures used to identify illegal downloaders are likely to interfere with the rights of the internet users. According to these groups the tracking of IP addresses of the users will breach privacy and the right to freedom of expression and.
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Human Rights, which has reviewed the bill, has approved the government’s effort to combat internet piracy, but goes on to say that more details are required before the bill can be passed. It has asked Ofcom to review the technical measures that need to be taken and to clearly define who is a “repeat offender”.
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