The digital age birthed the digital economy. This economy is probably best-described as the endless global network in which innovation, trade, competitiveness and entertainment are created, sold and shared.

To attempt to control this free flow of information seems foolhardy, but this is a concept that the UK Government has been wrestling with for some time.

If enacted, the heftily-titled Digital Economy Bill will extend the Government’s powers considerably for intervening in the British online economic framework. The Bill seeks to impose more weight on internet service providers (ISPs) to monitor access to greyer areas of the internet and extending the legal means to punish them if they do not comply.

Provisions are, to say the least, a mixed-bag.

In truth, there are a number of highly beneficial positives that can emerge from the act’s guidelines. For starters, the bill will allow the prosecution of ISPs for not adhering to minimum download speeds for customers, ensuring faster internet connections across the nation. The DEB will also launch an official crackdown on nuisance calls and spam emails, in theory protecting vulnerable individuals against unscrupulous organisations.

More controversial are the increased provisions surrounding copyright infringement.

Some of these changes are designed to protect intellectual properties (such as a musician’s album), through innovative means such as “webmarking”. This online registration service is designed to allow content creators to label their work, better-protecting their creations and by extension, rights.

Other provisions however are considerably more strict. For example, the maximum penalty for online copyright infringement could be increased from two to ten years. Even more drastic is the almost-unlimited jurisdiction afforded to bodies for policing unofficial spaces and sites. If unaltered, the Bill could theoretically see everyone, even as small as independent ticket-touters, prosecuted under “service” and “online communication” laws.

In the name of streamlining and security, the Bill is also arguably highly intrusive. This core ideology lays the foundation for the DEB’s most controversial proposal – the amalgamation of Governmental mass-databases consisting of personal information.

The Delegated Powers Committee, responsible for assessing parliamentary bills, have been particularly critical of the DEB. They claim that the sharing of information between departments conflicts with pledges made by civil servants and agencies to secure this data within their own boundaries. Essentially, the Government is poised to make connections between unrelated areas of an individual’s past and use that knowledge as they see fit.

One of the ideas behind the clause is to reduce public sector debt. For example, by passing tax records from Government database to local authorities, debtors can be identified and assisted.
However, the provisions for sharing information are obscure, potentially encompassing records including socio-economic status and emotional health. One clause even “permits” the sale of this information to private authorities conducting public services, such as a company which owns a school.

In a recent verdict delivered by The Delegated Powers Committee, they described these powers as “inappropriate” and “untrammelled”. The peers also recommended that the particular clause be completely removed from the already-controversial bill.

The DEB, more so than any other digital security bill to date, must respond to this scrutiny. Streamlining infrastructure should not come at the expense of private liberties.

While some aspects of the Digital Economy Bill are certainly beneficial, many are concerned with the startling intrusions that could be made into individuals’ private lives. A more sophisticated and finite legislation could protect both producers and consumers of online content, while also ensuring personal lives remain unperturbed.

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