Policy

Policy category is the wrapper for all Policy orientated content

News, Policy

Follow-up on Response to Consultation on: Powers in relation to UK-related domain name registries

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In August 2023, the UK Chapter submitted a response to a UK Government consultation on Powers in relation to UK-related domain name registries.

The Internet Society UK Chapter had responded to the Consultation on the Digital Economy Act 2010, criticizing the consultation deadline during the summer holidays for hindering inclusive stakeholder engagement. They urged further consultations to ensure broad stakeholder involvement in managing UK Internet resources. They highlighted several concerns:

  1. The Act was outdated, given the significant changes in the Internet since 2010, making the drafting of powers potentially inappropriate.
… Read more ...
News, Policy

Open Letter to EU Commissioner-designate: Preserving the Open Internet

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Date: 29 October 2024

Addressed to Commissioner-designate Henna Virkkunen

Expresses concerns about undermining net neutrality principles in Europe

Urges the European Commission to avoid interfering in the Internet’s interconnection ecosystem

Highlights risks of proposals mandating payments from Content and Application Providers (CAPs) to telecom operators:

  • Potential market fragmentation
  • Increased costs for consumers and businesses
  • Degraded service quality

Emphasises the importance of maintaining a balanced market with equal bargaining power

Calls for evidence-based recommendations to support an open Internet

Warns that regulatory interventions could harm the global Internet and its users

Signed by various organizations and individuals advocating for net neutrality – including Internet Society UK England

https://www.internetsociety.org/open-letters/preserving-the-open-internet… Read more ...

News, Policy

Joint cross-sectoral statement: Concerns Regarding the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill

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Release Date: 22 March 2024

The UK Chapter of the Internet Society is a co-author and co-signatory of today’s Joint cross-sectoral Statement that saw Civil Society organisations work with academics and TechUK, to express concerns about a Bill that is reaching Report Stage in Parliament on Monday 25 March 2024.

The Statement was picked up on Friday 22 March 2024 by the BBC News article “‘Mass surveillance’ fears over law change plans”.

The Statement can be found here:

IPA-Bill-joint-cross-sectoral-statementDownload

In parallel, the UK Chapter has been very active in corresponding with the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR).… Read more ...

News, Policy

Joint submission of Evidence to House of Commons Public Bill Committee

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The Internet Society, Internet Society UK Chapter and Access Now have made a joint submission to the call for evidence made by the House of Commons Public Bill Committee which is going to consider the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill.

This joint submission was sent on 7 March 2024.

The Bill, “A Bill to amend the Investigatory Powers Act 2016; to make provision about information supplied by, or relating to, the Judicial Commissioners; and for connected purposes.” was unusually started in the House of Lords before undergoing Stages in the House of Commons.… Read more ...

News, Policy

Joint submission of Evidence to Joint Committee on Human Rights

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The UK Chapter has made a joint submission with the Internet Society in response to the call for evidence that was published by the Joint Committee on Human Rights regarding the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill.

The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) is a Parliamentary Joint Committee whose main function is to examine all bills and legislative instruments for compatibility with human rights, and to report to both Houses of Parliament on its findings.

The Joint Submission can be found here:

Internet-Society_call-for-evidence_IPA-1Download

The deadline for submitting evidence was Monday 22 January 2024.… Read more ...

News, Policy

Controversial Data Protection Bill pushed through UK House of Commons

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On Wednesday 29 November 2023, the UK Government brought back the “Data Protection and Digital Information Bill” to life by having a second reading in the House of Commons. The first version of the Bill, proposed by Nadine Dories in July 2022, was actually withdrawn on 8 March 2023 after having had only one reading in the House of Commons – a withdrawal explained by one MP as being a consequence of how inappropriate the Bill’s contents were.

But Wednesday, the Government pushed it through for a second reading in the House of Commons, along with hundreds of amendments, and judging from the exchanges it is well understood that the Bill is filled with controversial proposals giving the Government broad powers, together risking turning the UK into a surveillance state, from the ability for the Government to monitor State benefit recipient’s bank accounts, to having access to significant voter data for electoral purposes.… Read more ...

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