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I’ve just written to my MP to register my opposition to the recently proposed Digital Economy Bill.  There’s been a lot of media commentary detailing the reasons why the UK would be at risk if this bill is passed.  Check out these articles for more information:

Britain’s new Internet law — as bad as everyone’s been saying, and worse. Much, much worse.

Digital economy bill: A punishing future

The “Digital Economy Bill” expands government control over the internet

If you feel strongly that this bill should not be passed, I’d recommend you write to your MP to tell them.  There’s a great service called, www.writetothem.com which enables UK citizens to contact their MP, MEP’s and members of the House of Lords free of charge.

The main body of my letter is listed below – if you do contact your own MP it’s important that you use your own words.  I’ve never been certain that our government takes notice of the views of the common people, I think that this issue warrants at least trying to influence a positive change.

DIGITAL ECONOMY BILL

I would like ask for your support in opposition of the proposed Digital Economy Bill.

This proposed, draconian, legislation designed to alter the online-behaviour of UK citizens is unfocused, disproportionate and places the desires of large corporations above the needs of the UK population.

While supporters of the bill may suggest that the introduction of a fixed-scheme of powers to prosecute copyright evaders would be at odds with the fast-rate of change within the digital economy, the creation of a law which provides a vague set of powers, is at odds with liberty.

The recording industry’s lobby state they require this legislation to protect the industry against the effects of piracy and file-sharing. The unfortunate truth is that movement to a digital economy changed the parameters of their industry irreconcilably. If this unfortunate truth is accepted, the need to change must be firmly placed at the feet of those in charge of these media companies.

My personal view is that legislation should not be used to enforce a shift in culture, especially when corporations are the main driver in campaigning for this change. In my experience, education is the only effective method to create lasting change.

A Digital Economy Bill must look to the future and should protect, not criminalise, the citizens of Britain.

If we – the people of Britain – wish to create and sustain a burgeoning digital economy in Britain, we need to create an environment where free-discussion, innovation and continued civil liberties feature prominently.

I’m left wondering what this bill could have been. The move to a digital economy has the potential to create inequality. The bill could have focused on widening – not curtailing – access access to the internet.

• Access to the internet is currently unequally distributed between different sections of society. In the future digital economy, access to the Internet will be as important as the provision of basic household utilities. We should be looking towards countries like Estonia, France, Finland and Greece, who have legislated to make internet access a human right.
• While the 50p tax on land-line telephone users may help provide access to members of rural communities, physical access to the Internet is only one part of the problem. The issue of ‘net neutrality’ is vitally important. I’d like to know why safeguards haven’t been proposed to prevent Internet Service Providers from artificially limiting the type of traffic they transmit over their networks.
• As society becomes increasingly reliant on technology, the potential to monitor and control the activities of the population increases. Without wanting to appear alarmist, the possibility of living in an Orwellian dystopia is very real. I’d like to feel that our government is doing it’s very best to safeguard the civil liberties of the UK population.
• Access to impartial information, free from commercial influence, is vital to a healthy society. There is no mention of how publicly funded media – created via the BBC or Arts Council Grants for example – can be made available via the public domain.
• The types of company operating in the digital economy are far more varied than this bill suggests. By disregarding the full range of technology-led companies, the opportunity for sustained development and further growth are severely limited.

The new digital economy needs to create the right kind of environment to support entrepreneurial innovation, but it also needs to place safeguards – limiting the activities of companies operating in the digital domain.

I would hope that our Government’s primary duty is to act on behalf of the common majority.

Rather than create a set of proposals to ensure a bright future for the UK digital economy, this bill provides wide-ranging measures designed to crystallise the current status quo.

The civil liberties of the UK population are being eroded at a dangerous rate. Many of my friends, fellow Europeans from neighbouring countries, are shocked and appalled that such measures have been proposed.

The Digital Economy Bill does nothing to instil any kind of confidence that the government is able to face the challenges ahead, and I urge you to oppose this bill.

Thank you for your time.