Adrian Ramsay, deputy leader of the Green Party, has endorsed TalkTalk and BT's challenge of the recently ratified Digital Economy Act. The two Internet Service Provider (ISP) companies are seeking a judicial review of the legislation.
The Digital Economy Act places an obligations on ISPs to block sites accused of hosting copyrighted material. ISPs are also being asked to retain and manipulate data on its subscribers' internet activity.
Ramsay said:
"The Digital Economy Act contributes to a society of surveillance. The DEA threatens to severely infringe civil liberties, as well as presenting problems to businesses and the economy. It could result in many people having their internet connection cut off through no fault of their own and in restrictions to accessing open wifi networks.
"At the time of the bill's passage, the Green Party strongly argued that it was being aggressively pushed through, at the last-minute, in the run up to the general election. Proper debate and considerations were neglected.
"The EU demands a minimum three-month investigation period, and this was ignored outright, giving people very little chance to evaluate the implications and suitability of the DEA.
"The Liberal Democrats initially seemed to oppose the Digital Economy Act. Frustratingly, their coalition agreement with the Conservatives made no mention of the DEA. Repeal of the DEA is obviously not a priority for Nick Clegg, and this poses a problem for the thousands of people we know to be contacting their MPs with concerns about the Act."
Notes
1) 14 July, PC Pro Magazine - BT confident Digital Economy Act will be thrown out