Digital Economy Bill Could ‘Breach Rights’

February 6, 2010 by Infowars Ireland

news.bbc.co.uk
5 February 2010

An influential group of MPs and peers has said the government’s approach to illegal file-sharing could breach the rights of internet users.

The Joint Select Committee on Human Rights said the government’s Digital Economy Bill needed clarification.

It said that technical measures – which include cutting off persistent pirates – were not “sufficiently specified”.

In addition, it said that it was concerned that the Bill could create “over-broad powers”.

“The internet is constantly creating new challenges for policy-makers but that cannot justify ill-defined or sweeping legislative responses, especially when there is the possibility of restricting freedom of expression or the privacy of individual users,” said Andrew Dismore MP and chair of the Committee.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), which oversees the Digital Economy Bill, said that government had “always been clear that [its] proposals to deal with unlawful file-sharing should not contravene human rights”.

‘Sweeping powers’

The Select Committee only examined the parts of the Bill that focus on plans to tackle illegal file-sharing as well as a controversial amendment to copyright law.

“The concern we have with this Bill is that it lacks detail,” said Mr Dismore. “It has been difficult, even in the narrow area we have focussed on, to get a clear picture of the scope and impact of the provisions.”

The Digital Economy Bill was outlined in the Queen’s speech in November 2009.

One of the most hotly-debated elements is the so-called “three strikes rule” that would give regulator Ofcom new powers to disconnect or slow down the connections of persistent net pirates.

The Committee said it had concerns about “technical measures” like these and how they would be applied. Read more…