July 12, 2016

The Digital Economy Bill was announced in the Queen’s Speech on 18 May 2016.  It will implement a number of government commitments on the digital economy made in the Conservative Party Manifesto.

The Government describes the main elements of the bill as follows:

• Fast Broadband and support for consumers:
  • new Broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) for the UK, giving all citizens the legal right to request a 10Mbps broadband connection;
  • new powers for Ofcom to help consumers access better information and enable consumers to act on that information through easier switching; and
  • new provisions to ensure that consumers are automatically compensated if things go wrong with their broadband service.
• Enabling digital infrastructure:
  • new Electronic Communications Code to cut the cost and simplify the building of mobile and superfast broadband infrastructure;
  • new and simpler planning rules for building broadband infrastructure; and
  • new measures to manage radio spectrum to increase the capacity of mobile broadband.
• Protecting intellectual property:
  • further supporting digital industries equalising penalties for online copyright infringement with laws on physical copyright infringement; and
  • new online design registration system, known as webmarking, to protect valuable rights.
• Government digital services:
  • enabling government to deliver better public services and produce world leading research and statistics;
  • enabling technology to manage information by allowing public authorities to connect where the objective has a public benefit;
  • new powers for public authorities to share information to combat public sector fraud;
  • help citizens manage their debt more effectively and reduce the billions of overdue debt owed to government; and
  • tough safeguards of personal data, reinforcing the Data Protection Act 1998 with new offences for unlawful disclosure.
• Protecting citizens in the digital economy:
  • a new statutory Code of Practice for direct marketing, ensuring the Information Commissioner can better enforce sanctions against nuisance callers and spammers, and ensuring that consent is obtained from consumers; and
  • protecting children from online pornography by requiring age verification for access to all sites and applications containing pornographic material.

Culture Secretary, John Whittingdale said: “We want to make the UK a world leader in digital provision – a place where technology continually transforms the economy, society and government.  The Digital Economy Bill will put in place the foundations for the digital future and help us meet this ambition”.  To access the Bill, click here.  To read the Government’s press release, click here.