WIKICommunications Bill
Not to be confused with the Communications Data Bill which deals with the collection of data
Jeremy Hunt announced in 2011 that he intends to put a new Communications Bill before Parliament. This would update the Communications Act 2003. A bill is expected to be produced for the 2014-15 parliamentary session.
Announcement
Jeremy Hunt first announced his intention to introduce the Bill in May 2011.[1][2].
Green Paper
The Communications green paper was originally expected at the beginning of 2012.[3] It was then expected in Spring 2012, and then later expected "before the Olympics". It was later confirmed that a green paper will not be published until after the Olympics[4], so it might have been expected sometime after the parliamentary summer recess[5], 3rd September 2012 at the earliest[6]. On June 7th, DCMS announced the green paper would be scrapped in favour of Communications Review policy seminars leading to a white paper.[7]
Seminars
- 4 July 2012: The consumer perspective
- This one seems to touch on digital rights areas
- DCMS did not accept Open Rights Group's application to attend this event.
- A 28-page transcript of this seminar has been published.
- 9 July 2012: Competition in the content market
- 12 July 2012: Maximising the value of spectrum to support growth and innovation
- 16 July 2012: Driving investment and growth in the UK’s TV content industries
- TBA September 2012: Supporting growth in the radio (audio) sector
White paper announcement
In a speech to the Oxford media convention, Ed Vaizey MP made reference to the white paper being released prior to April 2013. The speech made clear reference to mandatory opt-out adult internet filtering:
- We are working with industry to implement our new system, where every parent will be prompted to protect their child online. Protection will automatically be on if parents don't make choices. No other Government has taken such radical steps before. And once this is in place, Britain will have the most robust internet child protection measures of any country in the world - bar none.[8]
DCMS policy paper
A whitepaper was expected in early 2013.[9]
Next steps
- Bill first reading, ~2014
- Communications Committee
Issues
Issues that have previously been suggested for inclusion in the review include:
- mandatory provision of adult-content filters on internet providers, with the ability to opt-out
- Recent Department for Education consultation on this subject. 'Parental Internet Controls'
- new powers to block websites accused of copyright infringement
- regulations covering the results offered by search engines (demotion/removal of unlicensed material, promotion of official sites)
- measures to control which sites can receive advertising revenue
- measures to control which sites can use payment processors
Online
References
- ↑ DCMS news story
- ↑ Open letter, Jeremy Hunt
- ↑ Hansard: Written Statement 2012-03-19
- ↑ Media industry shake-up delayed to save Jeremy Hunt from embarrassment, Telegraph, 2012-05-06
- ↑ Recess dates, parliament.uk, "Summer: 17 July 2012 - 3 September 2012"
- ↑ Communications green paper delayed while Jeremy Hunt deals with Leveson, The Guardian, 2012-05-18
- ↑ Jeremy Hunt scraps communications green paper for several policy seminars, The Guardian, 2012-06-07
- ↑ Speech to the Oxford Media Convention, DCMS, 2013-01-23
- ↑ Communications review next steps announced, DCMS, 2012-06-07