Lib Dem MP Julian Huppert leads charge to get parts of Digital Economy Act scrapped

Julian Huppert, newly elected Lib Dem MP for Cambridge, has made something of a splash in his first months in Parliament, taking up a number of liberal causes, such as the need for more evidence-based and scientific rigour in government decision-making. The Digital Economy Act is one such cause.

TechEYE.net reports:

Julian Huppert said it was wrong to rush the controversial Act through Parliament before the last election and that the proposed measures warrant more discussion. … The new MP for Cambridge said: “Most of the Act is fine, I just don’t agree with every bit of it – and with this section in particular. It is collective punishment. It shouldn’t identify someone from their IP address. If this section can’t be changed, and made to work, then we shouldn’t have it. It should be scrapped.”

Huppert, who tabled an early day motion entitled Effects of Digital Economy Act 2010 On Use of The Internet shortly after the last general election, has been gathering support from other MPs for the cause. And this group has been organising ways to make vital changes to the Act.

According to Huppert, the key is to have more discussion between everyone affected, including consumers, ISPs and those who hold the rights to copyright. The MP, who has a PhD in biological chemistry, said part of the problem stemmed from the Act being rushed through “in the dying days” of the last parliament.

MPs, who would normally try to learn a bit about a subject before voting on it, had other things on their minds – namely, getting re-elected. And so the Act had too short a debate in the Commons in the middle of an election meaning many MPs still don’t really understand the tech issues.

“These are serious issues,” said Huppert. “The bill put too much into the regulations. Having discussion will be extremely useful. I’d like to get the law changed.”

You can read the article in full here.

Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Bridget Fox‘s campaigning efforts to stop the worst aspects of the Bill were recognised with her nomination in the LibDemVoice.org ‘Blog of the Year’ awards (Best use of blogging/social networking/e-campaigning by a Liberal Democrat) for leading the party’s grassroots challenge.

And you can catch up on all the Voice’s DE Bill coverage here.

Read more by or more about , or .
This entry was posted in News.
Advert

9 Comments

  • If only our Lords hadn’t amended the bill to take away the Bis secretary’s power to amend this at a whim – had we known Vince Cable would be Bis secretary by the time this kicks in…

  • The Digital Economy Act will cause untold chaos.
    You only have to look at the recent ACS:Law leak to see the potential for abuse.
    This law needs scrapping.

  • Andrew Wimble 30th Sep '10 - 2:19pm

    One big issue with the idea of imposing sanctions based on IP address is that it will effectively make open WiFi connections illegal. Now for most people. having an encrypted WiFi is probably a good idea but it should not be a legal requirement. In particular how is this going to effect the ever growing number of buisnesses that provide open WiFi for use by their customers.

  • Andrew Suffield 30th Sep '10 - 10:25pm

    I kinda want to move to Cambridge so that I can vote for that guy next time.

  • Christine Headley 30th Sep '10 - 11:26pm

    @Andrew Suffield

    If you moved to Oxford West and Abingdon, we could finish up with two!

  • The problem with moaning about IP based systems is that no one has supplied a more liberal alternative. A more accurate alternative would have to involve far greater intrusion, a web passport perhaps.

Post a Comment

Lib Dem Voice welcomes comments from everyone but we ask you to be polite, to be on topic and to be who you say you are. You can read our comments policy in full here. Please respect it and all readers of the site.

To have your photo next to your comment please signup your email address with Gravatar.

Your email is never published. Required fields are marked *

*
*
Please complete the name of this site, Liberal Democrat ...?

Advert

Recent Comments

  • Mick Taylor
    Mark Frankel is always 110% on the side of Netanyahu and the Israeli state, but his comments are not wholly wrong. I do feel angry that far too many people try ...
  • Steve Trevethan
    Might it be appropriate to promote whole nation-beneficial policies and their marketing, rather than concentrate on attacking other parties? Might it help to...
  • Ricky Treadwell
    Votes for all other parties will be up for grabs, we have to win anti-status quo voters from reform for example. To do this as can't just fire shots at unpop...
  • Christopher Haigh
    Coincidentally Tim Iredale on Politics North lad t Sunday devoted the whole programme to the way surviving coalfield communities of the South Yorkshire have bee...
  • Katie Wilson-Downie
    This is positive steps to fighting the real elephant in the room. Something that affects many but sadly we would believe it affects a minority, Such awful e...