Affects on Internet Freedom due to ACTA

The issue of Internet Freedom is a right down with ACTA(Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) is buzzing on the web. In the current state of affairs the Internet service providers are held liable for the action of their customers. ACTA makes the ISPs responsible for new legal framework that is introduced. They need police copyright on user-contributed material. This is a potential threat which can put an end to sites that depend on content such as (Youtube, Flickr, Blogger). This is due to the fact that monitoring the data involved for infringing material is almost impossible.

Practically the ISP has just one option that is to block the access entirely. ISP will adopt a three strikes’ approach, which will involve disconnection of users three times who have been accused of copyright infringements. User will be disconnected without trials, without any opportunity to defend themselves without any hard evidence. This might prove to be a disaster in the US and other countries where it offers an easy method of censoring targeted people and their websites. Moreover, this could be easily claimed with a copyright violation.

ACTA will offer policies that would affect everyone in U.S. It’s high time to realize Internet Freedom is a right down with ACTA.

However, with President Obama supporting the stance. EU would reject a draft of the proposal. Obama was in favor of it taking the issue as far as to consider a 3 strikes you are out policy for copyright infringement.

The consequences of this will be that you just put the files on the CD that you’ve bought onto the iPod and you could land up with charges of copyright infringement. There’s no scope to prove your innocence.

It looks like ACTA is almost presuming that people using Internet are doing so for copyright infringement.

Again if ACTA is in the interest of the nation, it shouldn’t be so secretive. The people interested in knowing about it receive the watered down, heavily edited draft and press releases that the government presents before the public.

Further ACTA would result in increasing the cost of ISP’s that will raise the costs for the consumer. This is an extra burden added to what you pay for internet.

Clearly Internet Freedom is a right down with ACTA, if the government doesn’t show more openness.

To find more about ACTA you might read here