Ever willing to blame ISPs for any problems in the world, the UK’s Tory government say ISPs are behind the Sony hack.
The Tories are trying to get ISPs to act as unpaid censors to stop anything that someone with a blue rinse might not want to see on the internet. The ISPs have told them that they can’t be responsible for everything that appears on the internet, so the Tories are trying to convince the world that they really are.
Last week Prime Minster David Cameron claimed that the ISPs were responsible for terrorism because websites from terror groups could be found online. Before that he claimed they were responsible for child porn, for similar reasons.
Now as the fallout from the Sony hack continues, the UK Prime Minister’s former IP advisor, as “facilitators” web-hosts and ISPs must step up and take some blame.
You would think that someone who advises a Prime Minister about the internet might actually know a little bit about it, but clearly Mike Weatherley MP does not have a clue.
He claims that the ISPs are encouraging internet piracy by allowing stolen films to go down their tubes.
“Piracy is a huge international problem. The recent cyber-attack on Sony and subsequent release of films to illegal websites is just one high-profile example of how criminals exploit others’ Intellectual Property,” Weatherley wrote.
“Unfortunately, the theft of these films – and their subsequent downloads – has been facilitated by web-hosting companies and, ultimately, ISPs who do have to step-up and take some responsibility.”
Of course Cameron’s internet adviser can’t provide detail on precisely why web hosts and ISPs should take responsibility for the work of malicious hackers. Particularly when these ones appear to be state sponsored.
His theory is that something must be done and it is the ISPs who must do it. Of course he could equally have blamed the Prime Minister’s cat and come up with a more viable reason.
It is also tricky because in the UK almost every major torrent site is already blocked by ISPs. So in this case it is just Weatherley opening his mouth and letting the wind blow his tongue around.
