The End of Free Internet in the UK ??

[ElvenMyst]

I have never posted much on Avalon but I just saw this on the Guardian website
and thought it worthy of people's attention. Will this bill be as bad as it sounds......?

Bright Blessings to All

Elven



"The government forced through the controversial digital economy bill with the aid of the Conservative party last night, attaining a crucial third reading - which means it will get royal assent and become law - after just two hours of debate in the Commons.

However it was forced to drop clause 43 of the bill, a proposal on orphan works which had been opposed by photographers. They welcomed the news: "The UK Government wanted to introduce a law to allow anyone to use your photographs commercially, or in ways you might not like, without asking you first. THEY HAVE FAILED," said the site set up to oppose the proposals.

But despite opposition from the Liberal Democrats and a number of Labour MPs who spoke up against measures contained in the bill and put down a number of proposed amendments, the government easily won two votes to determine the content of the bill and its passage through the committee stage without making any changes it had not already agreed.

Tom Watson, the former Cabinet Office minister who resigned in mid-2009, voted against the government for the first time in the final vote to take the bill to a third reading. However the vote was overwhelmingly in the government's favour, which it won by 189 votes to 47.

Earlier the government removed its proposed clause 18, which could have given it sweeping powers to block sites, but replaced it with an amendment to clause 8 of the bill. The new clause allows the secretary of state for business to order the blocking of "a location on the internet which the court is satisfied has been, is being or is likely to be used for or in connection with an activity that infringes copyright".

The Labour MP John Hemming protested that this could mean the blocking of the whistleblower site Wikileaks, which carries only copyrighted work. Stephen Timms for the government said that it would not want to see the clause used to restrict freedom of speech - but gave no assurance that sites like Wikileaks would not be blocked.

Don Foster, the Liberal Democrats' spokesman for culture, media and sport, protested that the clause was too wide-ranging: "it could apply to Google," he complained, adding that its inclusion of the phrase about "likely to be used" meant that a site could be blocked on its assumed intentions rather than its actions.

The Lib Dem opposition to that amendment prompted the first vote - known as a division - on the bill, but the Labour and Conservative whips pushed it through, winning it by 197 votes to 40. The next 42 clauses of the bill were then considered in five minutes.

Numerous MPs complained that the bill was too important and its ramifications too great for it to be pushed through in this "wash-up" period in which bills are not given the usual detailed examination.

However the government declined to yield - although it had already done a deal with the Tories which meant that a number of its provisions, including clause 43 and the creation of independent local news consortia, would not be part of the bill."

[Carol]

Do you have a link for this? Mahalo

[TheTruth]

http://www.publications.parliament.u...mdebate/32.htm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolog...nomy-Bill.html

[stardustaquarion]

Well I guess we should make the most of it while we can

Maybe we should be thinking in exchanging details just in case?

[ElvenMyst]

Here is the original link for the article.

Thanks The Truth for your links

Stardustaquarian.....I agree....Sites like Avalon could be affected by this too. Worth keeping some paper copies of contacts.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...-third-reading

[stardustaquarion]

Posted by ElvenMyst (here)
Here is the original link for the article.

Thanks The Truth for your links

Stardustaquarian.....I agree....Sites like Avalon could be affected by this too. Worth keeping some paper copies of contacts.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...-third-reading

The alternative is having a close to the public group like some of the Yahoo are but of course that will be a last alternative. Maybe one should be created and kept in the back burner. I see a witch hunt comming I tell you! TPTB are losing it

Love

[irishspirit]

The day they hit peoples internet, will be the day that the government losses everything. Fact, there are more sickos out there that enjoy the free porno's that when they go, they will not stand for that. Is in it just a pitty that every other right they have, every bit of power they have to make laws and force change have gone and they cannot see that. But, take away their free porno's and they will riot. SHame really.

[Gita]

Quote

‘Death Of The Internet: Unprecedented Censorship Bill Passes in UK

Friday, 09 April 2010 09:20

'A draconian Internet censorship bill that has been long looming on the horizon finally passed the house of commons in the UK yesterday, legislating for government powers to restrict and filter any website that is deemed to be undesirable for public consumption.

The “Digital Economy Bill” was rushed through parliament in a late night session last night after a third reading. In the wake of the announcement of a general election on May 6, the government has taken advantage of what is known as the “wash-up process”, allowing the legislative process to be speeded up between an election being called and Parliament being dissolved.

Only a pitiful handful of MPs (pictured above) were present to debate the bill, which was fully supported by the “opposition” Conservative party, and passed by 189 votes to 47 keeping the majority of its original clauses intact.'

Read more: Death Of The Internet: Unprecedented Censorship Bill Passes in UK

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[Gita]

Quote

Leading UK ISP Says It Will Defy Government’s Net Censorship Bill

'A leading internet service provider in the UK has declared that it will refuse to follow government orders to restrict, slow down or cut off its customers’ internet access under rules set out in Lord Mandelson’s (pictured) Digital Economy Bill.

The provider, TalkTalk, which has over 4 million internet users, has declared the legislation “draconian” and says it will not cooperate with its provisions.

Andrew Heaney, TalkTalk’s director of strategy and regulation has said the company will repel any instructions to disconnect customers unless instructed to by the courts.'

Unquote

http://www.infowars.com/leading-uk-i...nsorship-bill/

Lets hope more ISPs start fighting back.

[stardustaquarion]

Yeah, I read that ytd night, I am with talktalk good service and good policy!

Love it, thank you

[dddanieljjjamesss]

I really feel as though there are going to be huge blowbacks to the UK government for even thinking about these restrictions. It's going to force people to wise up and start using better encryption to protect their anonymity.

[Lucrum]

This bill/directive is a part of the EU regulations and have been implemented already in several countries.

I'm not gonna say that all parts of it will be used in each respective country, but I know the directive involving storage of transmitted data over the web has been passed several places.
Norwegian government is discussing it at the moment, still quite a few negative to the whole thing. Sadly it seems more and more politicians are changing their minds, so it's still no definitive answer as to where this will end.

In practice though, all international web traffic from Norway has to pass through Swedish servers and routers. This means mails, sms, mms, chats...well, you name it, all might be stored over a period of time in case of suspected criminal activity.
It also opens for scanning through the information to find keywords, which might put you on a list of "might be" criminals or terrorists.

The whole thing stinks, big time....

[Gita]

Quote

Digital Economy Act: This Means War

''With the rushed passage into law of the Digital Economy Act this month, the fight over copyright enters a new phase. Previous to this, most copyfighters operated under the rubric that a negotiated peace was possible between the thrashing entertainment giants and civil society.

But now that the BPI and its mates have won themselves the finest law that money can buy – a law that establishes an unprecedented realm of web censorship in Britain, a law that provides for the disconnection of entire families from the net on the say-so of an entertainment giant, a law that shuts down free Wi-Fi hotspots and makes it harder than ever to conduct your normal business on the grounds that you might be damaging theirs – the game has changed.'

Read more: Digital Economy Act: This Means War

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