Thread: Internet Censorship, UK Bill Heralds Death of the Internet

Full Spectrum Internet Media Censorship, UK Bill Heralds Death of the Internet

Politics / UK Politics
Apr 11, 2010 - 01:01 PM

By: Global_Research

Steve Watson writes: 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 Billâ€

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

Says bill partially written by music industry is on a par with communist Chinese censorship

Steve Watson
Friday, April 9th, 2010

Related Reading: Death Of The Internet: Unprecedented Censorship Bill Passes in UK

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.

"If we are instructed to disconnect an account due to alleged copyright infringement we will refuse to do so and tell the rightsholders we’ll see them in court." Heaney wrote on the company blog.

Heaney also makes it clear that TalkTalk will not turn over details of its customers' online activities to the government.

“Unless we are served with a court order we will never surrender a customer’s details to rightsholders. We are the only major ISP to have taken this stance and we will maintain it,â€