Talktalk campaign against three-strikes law gathers momentum

Talktalk said its petition against the Government’s plans to disconnect the internet services of alleged unlawful file sharers is currently the fifth most supported petition on the No 10 website.

The internet service provider (ISP) said less than two months since the launch of its Don’t Disconnect Us campaign, it has more than 30,000 signatures.

The company said with so much support against the imposition of what is commonly known as a ‘three-strikes’ law, the Government “must seriously reconsider their ludicrous proposals to tackle illegal file sharing that would see people disconnected from the internet without proof that they did anything wrong.”

The move towards introducing plans to punish people who allegedly download and upload media, such as music and movies, was begun in earnest this year by Lord Mandelson. Previously the Government had shied away from introducing such measures. It was introduced into the Digital Economy Bill in the Queen's speech in November.

The Government still has to flesh out the bare bones of the proposal. But it is expected to be a two-stage process with people accused of illegal file sharing initially receiving warning letters.

Lord Mandelson has said that people will be allowed a fair hearing. However, John MacKenzie, a lawyer with Pinsent Masons, warned that although consumers would have the right to challenge a disconnection they may have to exercise this right “after the event".

Talktalk said in the autumn that it would mount a legal challenge if the Government forced it to disconnect the services of people who have been accused of persistently breaching copyright.

On the company blog, Andrew Heaney, Talktalk’s executive director of strategy and regulation, said: “We are committed to fighting these plans and protecting innocent internet users.