Customer details leaked on P2P by Anti Piracy law firm.

[Laila]

The spreadsheet of PlusNet users was sent in an unsecure format by a BT lawyer
BT has admitted it sent the personal details of more than 500 customers as an unsecured document to legal firm ACS:Law, following a court order.

The news could put BT in breach of the Data Protection Act, which requires firms to keep customers' data secure at all times.

The e-mails emerged following a security lapse at ACS:Law.

A BT official admitted "unencrypted" personal data was sent, adding it "would not happen again".

BBC News - BT embroiled in ACS:Law porn list breach

BBC News - Fresh ACS:Law file-sharing lists expose thousands more

With Sky or BT broadband? I'd switch.

Go Virgin Media and Talk Talk for refusing to hand over customer details :2wave:
Oh and I looked at the list, some include credit card details.

 

[Orion]

The anti-piracy madness needs to stop. The government and courts have no business demanding that private companies hand over consumer data. Why do big businesses get the right to invade privacy because they are too stupid to reinvent their aging industry model?

Those dinosaurs should adapt or die. I should not have my internet activities monitored because I am using a system readily available to me.

Time to go download some movies just to spite them.

 

[Laila]

The anti-piracy madness needs to stop. The government and courts have no business demanding that private companies hand over consumer data. Why do big businesses get the right to invade privacy because they are too stupid to reinvent their aging industry model?

Those dinosaurs should adapt or die. I should not have my internet activities monitored because I am using a system readily available to me.

Time to go download some movies just to spite them.

I sent a message of thanks to my own broadband just because I actually truly appreciate the fact that they did not bow down to this ****.
It is not the ISP's job to monitor the internet but BT and Sky customers are not very happy if their message boards have anything to show.

The UK Commission is investigating this breach and will fine ACS Law and may cause it to go bankrupt and this has had the side effect of causing BT and Sky to finally step up and protect their customers details by challenging Ministry of Sound in court and winning.

I am ****ing sick and tired of Entertainment Industry trying to censor or bully individuals. They need to adapt or **** off.

 

[Orion]

The UK Commission is investigating this breach and will fine ACS Law and may cause it to go bankrupt and this has had the side effect of causing BT and Sky to finally step up and protect their customers details by challenging Ministry of Sound in court and winning.

I am ****ing sick and tired of Entertainment Industry trying to censor or bully individuals. They need to adapt or **** off.

You are lucky because Europe still has laws that speak for the people and challenge business practices. We are being raped over here in North America. The U.S. is getting the worst of it, but Canada is next door and we are very vulnerable to political interference.

The entertainment industry will keep trying to suppress our rights for their profits, but honestly I don't think it is going to have long-term solvency. To most people, downloading is not a moral issue... it's not about whether it's right or wrong. It's akin to a river flowing where the pathways allow. They just download because the ability is there. The only way to stop it is to gain control of the entire internet, but that is not going to happen.

Even if, in the short term, ISPs become the unwilling enforcers of policy, the consumers are not going to put up with it. People will exercise choices, and the internet community itself will adapt. You can already use software that masks your usage. The ISPs will see that I am transferring a lot of data but if I mask my activities, they are not going to know what that data is. In order to know that, they would have to come to my home and confiscate my computer, and I think if it gets to that point then we would be kissing a lot of other freedoms goodbye anyway. If our democracy and freedoms are going to maintain any integrity, it's not going to happen.

 

[Republic_Of_Public]

I usually chuckle at these regular piracy posts, bombarded by much the same hypocritical posters indignantly demanding the right to download without paying - after spending months lambasting the likes of me on points of morality.

Copying things for nothing just isn't done, though we've all been at it in our lives. Taping a show on your video recorder even counts. You take your chances of being done, which even today are absolutely minimal if you're just occasional about it, same as you do with using a work's computer for private stuff.


But sending those details should have been done securely. As with child support data being lost in the post under Labour, there's no accounting for human stupidity even in a world of remarkably high-tech' data security. Or users wanting to fill countless hard drives with pulp movies and video games every day of the year and not expect some comeback!

In order to know that, they would have to come to my home and confiscate my computer, and I think if it gets to that point then we would be kissing a lot of other freedoms goodbye anyway. If our democracy and freedoms are going to maintain any integrity, it's not going to happen.

I'd worry more about the television license. That is, if you live in Britain.

A friend of mine has no television but had the threat of having his computer taken away for 'analysis' by the licensing people if he didn't buy one. He acquiesced.

 

[Laila]

But sending those details should have been done securely. As with child support data being lost in the post under Labour, there's no accounting for human stupidity even in a world of remarkably high-tech' data security. Or users wanting to fill countless hard drives with pulp movies and video games every day of the year and not expect some comeback!

I only have 2 issues with this post.

One. The sending of these information was not done securely. Infact BT sent customer details on an unecrypted data sheet via email.
The company and BT/Sky deserve to all be fined for the stupidity and I hope victims who have had credit card details compromised sue for compensation and negilence. Customers of private companies under the DPA have a right to be secure in the knowledge their information is not being passed on without their knowledge and if done so, occurs securely.

And secondly, many of the information sent are individuals who are innocent. So innocent infact that there is being a disciplinary hearing against this law firm and a joint legal challenge. There is no proof that these people have file shared which makes your assertion hilarious to read over 'comeback'. This is just ACS demanding names and BT and Sky not having the sense to demand proof of wrong doing before handing it over. Kindly get your facts straight before making stupid statements.

Not to mention using IP to try and locate an individual who did the deed is ridiculously difficult what with spoofing, VPNs, proxies and wi fi hackings. Especially with the last example, many including old age pensioners who are forced to pay for something they did not download and are sent threatening letters. Tech savvy individuals will easily work their way around any challenges the DEA introduced, it is only those innocent who are trapped

And people expect me to have any sympathy for the Industry. It is their refusal to adapt which causes piracy. They have no one but themselves to blame

Btw, your comment over 'comeback' make me especially chuckle considering all this has occurred under "Operation: Payback is a bitch" (If you don't know what I mean .. well)

 

[Republic_Of_Public]

The companies behind these actions are big and bad enough to defend themselves. I'm certainly not going to be their mouthpieces and that wasn't my point, especially if they lack the common sense to mistake an old age pensioner for a hacker immoral enough to pin the rap for his own actions on someone else:

http://www.debatepolitics.com/europ...llegal-internet-downloads.html#post1058385658

Kindly get your facts straight before making stupid statements.

Where's the lie? Kindly stop being so daft.

It is their refusal to adapt which causes piracy. They have no one but themselves to blame

It's the age-old human trait of trying to get something for nothing which causes piracy. No matter how unfair the present system is, you couldn't expect any publisher or studio to 'adapt' to that kind of demand, because they'd bleed to death just to satisfy people who live to blag a king's ransom-worth of data without paying.

Though I do agree that whatever the system, it should be administered with justice, tact and common sense. If a company wants to take a downloader to court, it has to provide the evidence on its own account for individual cases, same as with other criminal cases.

 

[Laila]

Though I do agree that whatever the system, it should be administered with justice, tact and common sense. If a company wants to take a downloader to court, it has to provide the evidence on its own account for individual cases, same as with other criminal cases.

"Comeback"?

There is no evidence for those who have their information leaked were illegal downloading. The ACS Law did not show proof before threatening and blackmailing court action to innocent people and there were many innocent people.
So serious the allegations has been, this matter has been referred to SDT and the hearing next year if found guilty will be struck off.
:roll:

The problem here is that the Entertainment Industry works under 'Guilty before proven innocent' when it should be the other way around. It is not the ISP's job to monitor the internet.
If Entertainment companies wish to do so, they should it out of their own pocket and using their own resources and be forced to take individuals accused to court.

 

[Republic_Of_Public]

"Comeback"?

The people on these boards fear it, other people who fill their hard disks fear it and, as we're talking about copyright, a lot of people who upload copyrighted video without permission to Youtube.

I get the impression they fear that as much as the possibility of wrongful arrest.

Even though I've done my own downloading in my time, I sympathise only on point two. If you nick something and get done, you can't really whine about it.

 

[Laila]

The people on these boards fear it, other people who fill their hard disks fear it and, as we're talking about copyright, a lot of people who upload copyrighted video without permission to Youtube.

I get the impression they fear that as much as the possibility of wrongful arrest.

Even though I've done my own downloading in my time, I sympathise only on point two. If you nick something and get done, you can't really whine about it.

Oh yeah.
Well that goes without saying.
If you are downloading and do not have a dynamic IP, VPN/Proxies/indirect downloading and/or don't use public torrents. Then you are opening yourself up for attack by the Industry. The majority of those who pirate are highly intelligent and tech savvy. Just view Sweden and France and the reaction to stricter laws led to a 100+% increase in encryption technology.

Oh and sign on for a company that will not sell out your information.
I just have sympathy for those who are receiving these threatening letters and have done nothing wrong. They ought to be able to sue for compensation

And who exactly on this board 'fear it'?

 

[Republic_Of_Public]

I just have sympathy for those who are receiving these threatening letters and have done nothing wrong.

The first bit of common ground between us in ages. Some nice middle-ground to be going along with there.

And who exactly on this board 'fear it'?

I don't think you're allowed to name names, but I've certainly read a good few indignant pieces about how it's a gross encroachment of civil liberties for jail terms to be increased for serial downloaders, or ISPs to close down your account if you've been caught doing it. And not a word about wrongful convictions either.

 

[Laila]

The first bit of common ground between us in ages. Some nice middle-ground to be going along with there.

I don't think you're allowed to name names, but I've certainly read a good few indignant pieces about how it's a gross encroachment of civil liberties for jail terms to be increased for serial downloaders, or ISPs to close down your account if you've been caught doing it. And not a word about wrongful convictions either.

And that is where our agreement will most likely end.
If you can back the accusation then yes. If it is baseless, then no.
But who are they?

I have a problem with ISP's being used as a police for the entertainment industry. It is not the ISP's problem nor are they responsible with what is done nor should they EVER get any of the costs if they are forced to become police men of the internet. Any cost should be paid in full by the Industry who will benefit.
The Industry attempting to censor the internet for their own ends is disgusting and should be prevented. No other Industry gets such special treatment, as I said. If they wish to track these people down, do so using a court warrant after presenting evidence. The same method any other crime operates under not under baseless accusations based on faulty evidence (if there is any to begin with). That is where mistakes are made and innocent people are blamed.

 

[Republic_Of_Public]

If you can back the accusation then yes.

They do it 'cos they want to. I'm not getting punished just for your vanity (DP link wiped), so here's a link from the big wide world:


http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/pirate-bay-founder-compares-p2p-to-coca-cola-676755

 

[Laila]

http://www.debatepolitics.com/europ...-p2p-anti-piracy-law-firm.html#post1059031627

That is common sense not fear :roll:

ISP's are not and should not be the police men for the Entertainment Industry. It is not their job.
Probably why I stay loyal to companies who will protect my privacy.

 

[Republic_Of_Public]

'anti piracy madness'... 'too stupid'... sounds a bit like sour grapes to me.

(And sod it, punish me for that!)

 

[Laila]

'anti piracy madness'... 'too stupid'... sounds a bit like sour grapes to me.

(And sod it, punish me for that!)

Why do big businesses get the right to invade privacy because they are too stupid to reinvent their aging industry model?

Sounds like common sense to me :shrug:

I adore how you are ignoring the majority of my comments and posts. Is it because you agree or because you cannot find a suitable reply?

 

[Republic_Of_Public]

I'm just saying what I originally outlined. I said I agree with you on that point about people being summonsed when they haven't done anything, but that if people expect to download 5 tons of hooky movies then they shouldn't whine when the entertainment industry rattle their sabres.

 

[Hoplite]

I just want it publically known that I ****ing called it.