House of Lords passes Digital Economy Bill
The Digital Economy Bill has been passed by the House of Lords giving effective control to the House of Commons with regards to various controversial clauses within the bill. Many believe that the bill has been passed with indecent haste as we approach the next general election and many are mystified as to why the government seems so determined to push through this revolutionary and controversial bill.
There are a number of issues which are causing problems which include handing power to the courts to effectively close down websites which are deemed to host substantial copyrighted material, without a judicial review. There is also the threat to those who download copyrighted material which could see them barred from Internet access with no right of appeal. We could actually see the likes of YouTube and other similar media output websites closed down because of allegations regarding copyrighted material and this has angered Internet freedom campaigners.
The Internet is now an integral part of society and many believe that governments around the world are determined to rein in its power and attempt to control cyberspace. Whether these new laws will be effective remains to be seen but there is no doubt that the battle for control of the Internet is only just beginning and is certain to be a very messy affair.
Share this..
Related stories
Can Scotland survive as an independent nation?
When the Scottish National Party took a minority government to the Scottish parliament many people were hailing a significant change in the political direction of Scotland with the party receiving record backing. However, slowly but surely we have seen Alex Salmond's government start to unravel and come under increasing pressure to deliver the goods rather than talk the talk. A number of pivotal p...
Read MoreAre we approaching the spring of discontent?
Rail Union leaders have confirmed that their members will bring the rail network to its knees after the Easter bank holiday weekend with four days of stoppages beginning on Tuesday. Union chiefs have been vocal in their belief that they will "close down" the rail network as a number of rush hour walkouts have been planned. Just weeks before an expected UK election this is the last thing which Gord...
Read MoreFinancial crime 'must be police priority'
Financial crime should be a police priority and the Home Office should change protocol to help the police to tackle the fraud which funds further crime in the UK, the chief executive of the British Bankers' Association (BBA) said.Angela Knight said that HM Revenue and Customs has also breached its duty of care in dealing with its customers, with regards to the recent loss of personal data in the c...
Read MoreBudget Headlines : Extra £9 billion of efficiency savings by 2013/14
Extra £9 billion of efficiency savings by 2013/14...
Read MoreBank Of England reduces base rate by 1%
This was perhaps the worst kept secret in the financial markets as the Bank of England reduced base rates by 1% to a 50 year low of 2%. This is a drastic step although it was flagged only a few days ago by Mervyn King, the Governor of the Bank of England, and was wholly expected by both the investment markets and the currency markets.
In traditional recessionary periods the change i...