Glyn Wintle has kindly written a guest blog post on today's debate in the House of Commons on the Digital Economy Bill.
Wintle is a IT Contractor who has been following the Digital Economy Bill since the earliest stages. He gives talks at conferences on behalf of the Open Rights Group. He is tweeting on the Bill's second reading debate today.
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"The government would have you believe that the Digital Economy Bill, which is today in front of Parliament, will help to ensure that the UK is at the leading edge of the global digital economy.
"Unfortunately, the reality is that measures it introduces will impede many businesses and ordinary users that make use of the Internet, to the extent that a more appropriate name would be the Analogue Economy Bill.
"One of the most contentious features of the bill will require your ISP to disconnect you from the Internet if you're accused of downloading copyrighted material, unless you choose to take on the expense of appealing against the accusation and are able to prove that you didn't do the thing you didn't do.
"Even businesses, schools and libraries will be vulnerable to this and could see their Internet cut off if an accusation is made that their connection has been used to infringe copyright - spelling the death of open WiFi for sure.
"Other equally controversial measures include forcing ISPs to block websites and the government giving itself the power to take over the Internet domain registries.
"The next - and probably the last - debate on this Bill is now just hours away, scheduled for today, Tuesday 6th April.
Wash-up - what is that?
"When an election is called, negotiations take place between the main parties to decide which bills will be pushed through in the limited time available before Parliament is dissolved.
"This exceptional process, where normal rules of time for debate are suspended, is known as "wash-up".
"In wash-up, which former independent MP and BBC journalist Martin Bell has characterised as "a secretive process, the modern equivalent of the smoke-filled room", bills are waved through without line-by-line Parliamentary scrutiny, in a matter of hours not days.
"Because of the way this Bill has been timed, huge chunks of the bill might not receive any scrutiny at all in the House of Commons.
"Passing a Bill that has such a significant impact on aspects of life that so many of us take for granted (burden of proof, freedom of speech, quick and easy access to information and services) without even talking it over would be a massive - and unnecessary - mistake.
"Wash-up is an expedited process intended for non-controversial material; contentious bills can be deferred and raised again in the next Parliament, to allow for full and proper scrutiny.
"This Bill is clearly controversial: 35,180 people have signed a petition on the Number 10 website; there was a near unanimous emergency vote against it at a recent Lib Dem party conference; Liberty, Consumer Focus, the Federation of Small Businesses, Facebook, Google, eBay, the British Hospitality Association, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, TalkTalk, BT, Orange, Virgin, the Internet Services Providers Association and many others have all expressed issues with it.
"Even if you were not able to reach your MP before today's s debate, it's still important that you get in touch with them as soon as possible to ask them to oppose the Bill being passed through wash-up.
"The easiest way to write to your MP is via http://www.writetothem.com.
"Input your postcode and they'll tell you who your local MP is and submit your message.
"Please try to personalise it as standard letters have far less impact on MPs. These are general tips on writing to MPs.
"The latest briefing from the Open Rights Group.
"This is a legal analysis of the newest amendments.
"This is a more detailed review of the clauses by the Open Rights Group.
"The Times - MI5 comes out against cutting off internet pirates.
"Latest draft of the Digital Economy Bill."
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