Piracy letter campaign ‘nets innocents’ says Which? Computing

Worrying news reported by the BBC about the likely impact of the controversial Digital Economy Bill:

More than 150 people have approached consumer publication Which? Computing claiming to have been wrongly targeted in crackdowns on illegal file-sharing.

ACS:Law has sent thousands of letters to people claiming they have illegally downloaded material and offers them a chance to settle by paying around £500.

Which? says it has been approached by some – including a 78 year-old accused of downloading pornography – who have no knowledge of the alleged offence.

You can read the full story here.

The wider significance of the story is that the Government’s line on the controversial Digital Economy Bill is that in future more alleged internet pirates should be identified in similar ways and face more severe sanctions. The Government claims this can be done in a fair, reliable way. But the evidence so far suggests that in fact trying to identify people this way will result in a large number of innocent people facing punishment.