Broadband industry protests proposed legislation

The broadband industry and some of the biggest internet service providers have banded together to raise concerns about proposed legislation that could curtail internet freedom.

In a letter to the Financial Times, companies including Google, Yahoo and Facebook have objected to an amendment recently added to the Digital Economy bill that could lead to businesses being punished for copyright infringements.

The signatories of the letter are concerned that the bill could lead to websites being blocked without a fair trial for copyright infringements.

They say: “Put simply, blocking access as envisaged by this clause would both widely disrupt the internet in the UK and elsewhere and threaten freedom of speech and the open internet, without reducing copyright infringement as intended.”

Another result of the bill could be that businesses such as cafes that offer Wi-Fi access are held responsible for any abuses of copyright by users of the service.

Similarly, public Wi-Fi hotspots, often used by small businesses for internet access, could be shut off.

Any businesses that require a safe, secure broadband connection may now want to look at some of the products available from XLN, with speeds of up to 24Mbps.

Share with others...