Illegal downloaders face Internet ban?

[s_kinton]

Anyone read this yet?

Illegal downloaders face Internet ban: report - Yahoo! News UK

[pollaxe]

Oh wonderful, yet more well thought out legislation to look forward to.

I wonder how this will be implemented at ISP level (interception of encrypted data etc.) and, if so, how much it'd cost.

[dangel]

Chilling.

The UK is well on it's way to becoming an Orwellian state.

Perhaps someone in politics remembers it's the individual they're supposed to represent? Given how inaccurate their snooping is (and the issues in doing so) I guess most of the population will be without internet shortly.

[Zadock]

this has serious implications for privacy

How will ISPs differentiate between legit and illegal bit torrent traffic for example?

[Jay]

I doubt any ISP will do this.

I don't like the thought of ISPs trawling through packets! Is that not invasion of privacy? Also is this just on home connections or will they monitor business lines as well?

[Moby-Dick]

the bit I take issue with is this:

The Times said that the plans would involve a "three-strikes" regime -- users would first receive an e-mailed warning if they were suspected of illegally downloading films or music.

So they aren't going to bother to prove it then ?

[dangel]

I doubt any ISP will do this.

They will because the Government will force them to.

the bit I take issue with is this:



So they aren't going to bother to prove it then ?

That's the point for the music/film industry - they see it as a way to avoid proof, courts and er.. basically democracy (all those things that get in the way of their righteous compaign against the sole source of their profit loss*)

*this is bull.

[pollaxe]

So, guilty until proven innocent then.

What a stinkfest.

How are ISPs going to intercept encrypted data and/or over a VPN etc.?

[nichomach]

They'll simply assume that all traffic they can't read is naughty. Then demand that your connection is killed. Media companies DO NOT CARE whether you actually ARE guilty, they act on the suspicion that you might be. Can I suggest WriteToThem - Email or fax your Councillor, MP, MEP, MSP or Welsh, NI, London Assembly Member for free - and I'll be bunging up a petition at the PM's website. OK, that one'll be ignored to, but what the hell...

OK, FWIW the petition is in for "approval" and reads as follows:


"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Abandon plans to deprive people of internet access on the basis of "suspicion" of illegal downloading

Submitted by Nicholas Palmer – Deadline to sign up by: 12 August 2008

Category: Information and communication

More details:

It is reported by the BBC and the Times that the government is considering requiring internet service providers to cut internet access for people "suspected" of illegally downloading copyrighted material. The monitoring that this policy would require is an invasion of privacy; further, there already exist legal avenues for media companies to take action against people who unlawfully share copyrighted material.

If a media company has a "suspicion" that their material is being unlawfully shared or downloaded, then let them use the law as it stands to prove that and then have action taken to stop it.

This proposal gives private media companies an utterly unwarranted privileged status and reverses the burden of proof to the detriment of ordinary citizens who may well be perfectly innocent of any wrongdoing, yet be punished on the basis of no more than "suspicion".

Internet access is extremely important to a massive number of people in this country, and to suggest that it should continue only at the whim of media companies and their "suspicions" is utterly unacceptable.

We call upon the Prime Minister to abandon this draconian, intrusive and fundamentally unjust proposal."

Hopefully that covers the bases and as and when it gets approved I'll update this thread.

[TiG]

This is so funny, if you get convicted of file sharing the first thing they do is cease all your computer equipment. A friend in Norway had 3 PC's and a server removed and destroyed.

oooo so i won't be able to use the internet.

Seriously hilarious situation. The rule is far too late in the chain for it to make any difference.

Too many politicians have got no idea about technology, let alone data security.....

TiG

[dangel]

How are ISPs going to intercept encrypted data and/or over a VPN etc.?

They aren't - the music/film lot will employ a third party to just log IPs connecting to trackers and fire off thousands of requests to the ISPs who will then have to enforce them. The implication is that all they'll need is an IP, not proof of actually downloading content (which as you say is mostly encrypted so much harder) in order to get you 'banned'. Of course VPN/proxy routes defeat this entirely, as will the next gen of filesharing software that will doubtless spring up as a consequence.

Suspicion relaces proof. And the industry replaces the courts.

[pollaxe]

They'll simply assume that all traffic they can't read is naughty. Then demand that your connection is killed. Media companies DO NOT CARE whether you actually ARE guilty, they act on the suspicion that you might be. Can I suggest WriteToThem - Email or fax your Councillor, MP, MEP, MSP or Welsh, NI, London Assembly Member for free - and I'll be bunging up a petition at the PM's website. OK, that one'll be ignored to, but what the hell...

Looks like my connection from home to work will be blocked then!

Bah, double bah and triple bah.

I will sign your petition (like you, I doubt it'll do any good.) I've written to my MP on two occasions and on neither has he even bothered to reply. Waste of DNA.

[Salazaar]

Surely this is one of those this that some politician proposes to grab a few headline but it'll get thrown out when they realise that it's borderline illegal and fairly impractical.

[nichomach]

One can hope, but I'm gettin' my licks in early as regards opposing it...

[Norky]

The liberal in me winces when the government tries to make legislation that will cost one private industry money in order to make another private industry more

[Lee H]

What about the issue with bots and other malware. Surely enforcing a rule such as this would only drive the underworld into creating more backdoor programs so they can harness other peoples PC for downloading, ensuring that if they DO get caught it's an innocent bystander who'll be getting the ban and not the criminal.