The UK Digital Economy Bill has passed through the Lords, and is now waiting to be passed into law. Most notably, it is currently not slated for a debate in the House, and appears that it will simply be rushed through before the election (which must happen in the next few months).
Last night I was listening to the This Week in Google (TWiG) Pod cast with Leo Laporte, he had a guest speaker by the name of Kevin Marks who managed to turn the conversation over to the Digital Economy Bill (deBill). They made some comparisons between what Lord Mandelson wishes to enact and what the Chinese Government are currently doing in China. Britain previously made it clear that it believes China are breaking the Human Rights of its citizens, so why is the British Government thinking about similar things?
Before anyone does the “Literal Web” on me, and claims that I am making brash statements comparing a democratic country with a corrupt maoist regime, that is not what I am doing!
The point I am making is that there are proposed laws being put into effect via the deBill that would allow a future member of Government (Sec of State) to do the sort of things that China are doing. An example being that in Xinjiang China, after a local ethics riot internet access and international phone calls were disconnected for six months. Even now Xinjiang can only access a watered down internet, and send only a few text messages a day! The comparison with deBill is:
- (1) The Secretary of State may direct OFCOM to—
- (a) assess whether one or more technical obligations should be imposed on internet service providers;
- (b) take steps to prepare for the obligations;
- (c) provide a report on the assessment or steps to the Secretary of State.
- (2) A “technical obligation”, in relation to an internet service provider, is an obligation for the provider to take a technical measure against some or all relevant subscribers to its service for the purpose of preventing or reducing infringement of copyright by means of the internet.
- (3) A “technical measure” is a measure that—
- (a) limits the speed or other capacity of the service provided to a subscriber;
- (b) prevents a subscriber from using the service to gain access to particular material, or limits such use;
- (c) suspends the service provided to a subscriber; or
- (d) limits the service provided to a subscriber in another way.
Anyway before I rant to much, I suggest that any interested partys read Kevin Marks blog post on the subject.
http://epeus.blogspot.com/2010/03/bpis-china-like-clauses-in-digital.html
http://epeus.blogspot.com/2009/10/baron-mandelson-and-magna-carta.html
