UK Digital Economy Bill Section 124H Would Give Ability To Silently Censor Websites
from the just-the-sort-of-power-the-government-should-have dept
There have been lots of complaints about Peter Mandelson's "Digital Economy Bill" in the UK, which, beyond pushing a three strikes policy on the UK, would also grant Mandelson (or whomever he or future Business Secretaries deputize) the power to automatically change copyright law at will with no oversight. Scary enough, but it gets worse. As everyone's been focused on these clauses, they may have missed another scary one. Brian points out that another section, Section 124H, would also grant the Secretary of State the power to silently block access to any websites he dislikes. Yes, it would allow the Secretary of State to create a no-visit list that ISPs would have to block. And there would be no oversight (again). Oh, and it's not just websites. The order could be used for something like "block all BitTorrent" traffic. Seems like a bit much, doesn't it?
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Filed Under: censorship, digital economy bill, filters, uk
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--The Scene--
Ah, what times those will be.
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Re:
Does that mean the public will be aware? Or can they send a hush-hush memo?
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Hmm.
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Re: 1984
But an important point to think about is the circumstances of it's authoring. George Orwell worked as a censor in Britain in WW2 after becoming disillusiioned with idealists having fought in the Spanish civil war.
1984 isn't a 'wHat If?' story - in it George Orwell is asking how would can you know it isn't the world you live in?
Aldous Huxley wrote 'Brave New World' in which he thought peoples downfall would be a listless distracted interest in the world fed by cheap entertainment and mind numbing trivia while George Orwell thought people are brutalised by those with a will to power.
Today you see both things happening at once.
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Re: Re: 1984
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Like naming an anti-competitive, monopolistic, anti-economy bill "Digital Economy Bill"?
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Re: Why we do not need a written constitution
The last thing we need is for a modern day - self serving trickster bunch of politicians telling us what THEY THINK we should have as a right !
The only thing I want from them is the ability to live my life without fear of any other person doing me harm or restriction by their actions - and there is not one currently serving member of parliament I could trust to 'grant' me this right ! Yet it is the only one that matters and is the basis of 'common law' !
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Restricting internet access
A new type of 'torrent' software - with port switching, ip ghosting/switching, multi server anonymous redirectioning and high level encryption - will probably get them pulling their hair out within 6 months of any downloading site bans. For downloaders - a subscription of a tenner a month would be well worth the 'rip off' savings i.e. The cost of a single CD and the investment to counter it would be beyond any government decree to ISPs ability to afford ! Versus a highly technical and able 'free' workforce constantly upgrading and improving said developement.
Thing is - Mandlesnake does not have a clue about the technology (also underestimates the ability of people who understand the technology and believe in the freedom of the internet) and just wants to ingratiate his mates in the entertainments industry where he thinks he belongs 'a star' - legend in his own mind ! Media personality etc etc. Maybe a backhander or two in the old swiss bank account !
He also is in the 'priviliged elite' class who will be unlikely to suffer from the misuse of the law to shut down free speech should someone disreputable and politically disgusting get into a prominant political position - who is ready to abuse the law for their own purposes - Unless he already has ???!!!
What he hasn't considered is that the 'media industry' and their old 'rip off' business model is broken - they need a new one because if not the internet - then media phones and bluetooth will circumvent any (temporary) restrictions on downloading copyrighted material ! If I am wrong with this point - then the act is purely and simply a method of exercising government control over the internet ! Which is malicious and bitchy in the extreme - now who does this reputation fit ?
That said - I do not advocate piracy and have no interest in getting my hands on the so called entertainment which they seem to hold so dear ! Rather my interest is in mental enrichment and freedon to express opinions on the internet without having some worthless politician deciding that I can or cannot have access to that information/web site - because he/she does not like it !
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