The government has ruled out disconnecting the broadband services of people accused of illegal file-sharing. The government has given the clearest indication yet that it is not prepared to cut off the broadband services to people accused of illegal file-sharing.
In response to a petition on the 10 Downing Street website, which was started when Lord Mandelson proposed tough sanctions, including disconnection, for broadband customers guilty of piracy in August 2009.
Mandelson's comments signaled a change in policy from the government, who had initially rule out disconnecting broadband services, but the response to the petition issued this week by the government appears to indicate that it has again changed its stance.
"We will not terminate the accounts of infringers - it is very hard to see how this could be deemed proportionate except in the most extreme - and therefore probably criminal - cases," the government's response to the petition read.
The government also moved to calm fears expressed by privacy campaigners, saying that any response to piracy would be "effective, proportionate and transparent".
"We are not requiring ISPs to monitor for unlawful file-sharing. Nor are we proposing that ISPs look at what users download in order to combat piracy," the response said.
"The way in which cases of alleged copyright infringement are discovered involves identifying material offered to other users for download in breach of copyright, rather than any monitoring of an individual's internet account for downloads," it continued.
Topic: Broadband punters 'will not be cut off' (Read 1125 times)