I have the supreme displeasure of sharing the first six letters of my surname with one of the greatest villains of the digital age.
Peter Mandelson is Britain’s business secretary and the face of its new Digital Economy Bill, which contains the highly controversial “three strikes” policy that will enable Internet Service Providers to permanently disconnect any household that has been repeatedly accused of sharing copyrighted materials. The key word here is “accused” as no trial or evidence will be required for action to be taken against an individual. The bill also forces ISP’s to police their customers’ online activity, under the threat of a massive fine.
All of this is terrible, but the most shocking aspect of the Digital Economy Bill is the provision that gives Mandelson the ability to essentially create new laws as he pleases:
Mandelson, the unelected Business Secretary, would have to power to make up as many new penalties and enforcement systems as he likes. And he says he’s planning to appoint private militias financed by rightsholder groups who will have the power to kick you off the internet, spy on your use of the network, demand the removal of files or the blocking of websites, and Mandelson will have the power to invent any penalty, including jail time, for any transgression he deems you are guilty of. And of course, Mandelson’s successor in the next government would also have this power. – BoingBoing
The new bill has attracted criticism from a number a high profile detractors, including Stephen Fry, who has rallied his massive base of Twitter followers to petition the controversial changes in law. The petition in question is open to all UK residents with a valid postal code, and has already amassed over 17,000 signatories.
If you happen to live outside of the United Kingdom but would like to voice your opinion on this new legislation, the Open Rights Group has created a fantastic tool that allows you to do just that. Your Message to Mandelson is a beautifully designed site where anyone can post their two cents on the issue along with a photograph to give a face to their words.
Image by World Economic Forum via Creative Commons
About the Author: Jon is a former adbuster and perpetual media junkie who shares well with others. He spends his days concocting social strategy at SmarttNet, a Vancouver Internet marketing firm. Follow him on twitter!