Virgin Media is planning to begin monitoring the internet traffic on its network in a bid to work out how bad the problem of filesharing is. Here’s the thing: it’s going to be tested on 40 percent of the company’s network, but it won’t be telling individual customers they’re involved.
The deep packet inspection technology, called CView, will be able to detect the peer to peer filesharing traffic on its network, and then pinpoint what within that is pirated material, with help from the record industry. It’s only focusing on music for the moment, but there’s no planned end date for the trial, and The Register reports that other ISPs are in talks to adopt CView.
Report: New broadband tax could triple
The data on Virgin Media traffic it collects will be anonymous, but the scheme is still controversial, as those being watched won’t be informed. “It would be counter-productive because it doesn’t affect customers directly,” a spokesperson said.
Lord Mandelson’s Digital Economy Bill requires Ofcom to measure and quantify the impact of its provisions to reduce piracy.
Out TBC | £TBC | Virgin Media (Via The Register)
OK – so we do we talk to about the many privacy and human rights laws that this breaking!?
Surely this has to be illegal, what about all my private banking details ?
It sounds like an automated process, and it’ll be looking for audio files at first. It’s worrying, but whenever you transmit your bank details they should be encrypted anyway.
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