Home » UK ISP News Archive » Article Tag: Net Neutrality (115 Posts)

Articles for Category Tag - Net Neutrality

Age Verification and UK ISP Internet Porn Ban Quietly Delayed UPDATE

12th March, 2018 (10 Comments)

The government has quietly delayed their new age verification rules until the end of 2018, which was set to be targeted at websites and “apps” that contain pornographic content. Broadband ISPs would also be required to block sites that fail to comply with the new rules.

Ofcom Probe Three UK and Vodafone Over Net Neutrality Concern

6th March, 2018 (7 Comments)

The telecoms regulator has today opened a new investigation to examine whether some of the new 4G mobile plans and add-ons being offered by Three UK and Vodafone are compliant with the EU’s new Net Neutrality rules, which are designed to protect the open internet from abuse.

UK Government Admits Internet Porn Ban Flawed – Continues Anyway

5th January, 2018 (15 Comments)

The Government’s Digital Minister, Matt Hancock, has quietly signed-off on a controversial impact assessment for the new Age Verification system, which underpins their plan to force all UK broadband ISPs into blocking websites that contain pornographic content (unless they use age verification).

UK ISP TalkTalk Blocks Popular Internet VPN Tool TeamViewer AGAIN

20th December, 2017 (14 Comments)

Broadband ISP TalkTalk is facing criticism after they once again blocked UK customers from being able to access the TeamViewer service from their network, which apparently stems from a fear that it is being used by scammers to target their subscribers.

UPDATE Vodafone Launch Data Friendly 4G Mobile and Pay-As-You-Go Plans

1st November, 2017 (18 Comments)

Vodafone UK has today claimed that they intend to “banish data use fears” by reinventing how customers on their Pay Monthly and Pay-As-You-Go 4G Mobile plans consume and pay for their data use. They’ve also improved their insurance plans for Apple iPhone owners.

UK Gov Softens Stance on Mandatory ISP Filters for Adult Internet Content

11th October, 2017 (1 Comment)

The Government has today published their Internet Safety Strategy green paper, which sets out how they intend to tackle online dangers like cyber-bullying, trolling and under-age access to porn. But it also appears to soften earlier plans for a mandatory approach to network-level ISP internet censorship.

UPDATE ISP Blocking and Age Verification of Porn Websites from April 2018

17th July, 2017 (17 Comments)

The Government has confirmed that, from April 2018 onwards, they will require broadband ISPs to block access to pornographic websites that fail to introduce at least a Credit Card based Age Verification system. This is intended to stop children being able to access naughty images and videos.

Virgin Mobile 4G Plans Now Allow Free Zero Rated Data Use on Twitter

10th July, 2017 (5 Comments)

Last week we saw mobile operator Three UK introduce free video streaming (i.e. it won’t eat into your Mobile Broadband data allowance) on their 4G Mobile plans (here) and this week Virgin Media have joined the fun by adding data-free use of Twitter to their own plans. But what of Net Neutrality?

Caveats in Three UK’s New “Go Binge” 4G Plans with Unlimited Streaming

6th July, 2017 (8 Comments)

Customers on almost all of Three UK’s “Advanced” 4G Mobile plans (i.e. those with a data allowance of 4GB or more) can now benefit from the operator’s new “Go Binge” service, which provides “unlimited data … for streaming video and music” from Netflix, Deezer, Soundcloud and TVPlayer.

Ofcom Report to EU Finds “no major” Abuse of Net Neutrality by UK ISPs

23rd June, 2017 (4 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has published its first annual report to the European Commission on their monitoring of the EU’s new rules for protecting Net Neutrality (open internet access). The report finds that “there are no major concerns regarding the openness of the internet in the UK.”

UK ISPs Respond to Prime Minister’s Call for Clampdown on Internet “Extremism”

5th June, 2017 (17 Comments)

The Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) has today warned the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Theresa May, that there is a risk of “unintended consequences that could undermine our defences” if she forces through aggressive new measures to tackle online “extremism“.

UK Broadband Stakeholders Group Warns of Brexit Risk for Digital Comms

12th April, 2017 (2 Comments)

The Broadband Stakeholders Group, which acts as a think-tank for the government, has published a new report that summarises the risks and challenges of Brexit for Internet and digital communications across the United Kingdom (broadband, mobile, USO, state aid policy etc.).

Lords Comms Committee Calls for Default-On UK Internet Censorship

21st March, 2017 (4 Comments)

The Lords Communications Committee has today published their new report (‘Growing up with the internet‘), which calls for an end to “underperforming” self-regulation and “intervention at the highest level of the Government” in order to help protect children online.

Karen Bradley MP Tells CMA and Ofcom to Probe Fox’s Takeover Bid for Sky

16th March, 2017 (0 Comments)

The Government’s Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Karen Bradley MP, has today directed Ofcom and the UK Competition and Markets Authority to probe 21st Century Fox’s £11.7bn bid to takeover Sky by acquiring a 61% stake in the company (Fox already owns 39%).

UPDATE ISP TalkTalk Blocks Teamviewer VPN Service Over Scammer Fears

9th March, 2017 (26 Comments)

In an surprise development broadband ISP TalkTalk has taken the decision to block the popular TeamViewer service from their UK network, which means that anybody wanting to use the Virtual Private Network (VPN) service will find themselves unable to connect.

UN Human Rights Council Warns UK Over Internet Censorship and Privacy

11th January, 2017 (5 Comments)

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has today joined ISPs, civil rights groups and others to warn that the UK’s new Digital Economy Bill 2017 lacks “data sharing safeguards” and may damage the vital “right to privacy and the right to freedom of expression.”

Concern as UK Government Ponders ISP Block of Twitter and Social Media

15th December, 2016 (10 Comments)

A recent debate in the House of Lords on the forthcoming Digital Economy Bill has raised significant concern that the Government may be trying to censor social media websites (Twitter etc.), unless they adopt Age Verification. Otherwise ISPs might be forced to block them.