Censorship is shifting from content to individuals. Comcast made a value judgement over a user’s downloaded files and suspended his service altogether, punishing him by denying access to all Internet content.
This is tantamount to a utility company shutting off a customer’s electricity because they didn’t like their consumption patterns. I have already warned TN readers over government plans to take censorship down to the ISP and hardware levels, where you could be summarily shut out of the Internet altogether. This is what Comcast has just done! ⁃ TN Editor
After Comcast suspended a user’s Internet access for downloading copyrighted material, some people are asking whether in the near future similar punishments could be inflicted for accessing ‘offensive content’.
A Comcast Xfinity subscriber was informed that his Internet service had been suspended for 8 hours due to downloading torrents and that it wouldn’t be restored until he contacted the company.
“This alert is to let you know that this month, we again received notifications of alleged copyright infringement associated with your Xfinity account. That means your Internet service may have been used repeatedly to copy or share a movie, show, song, game, or other content without any required permission,” said the email to the customer.
The user was told that further violations would result in another 12 hour suspension and that, “Further notifications may result in your Xfinity Internet account being suspended again or terminated.”
ISP Cox also previously handed out a 6 month suspension against a user after receiving multiple complaints.
“Such terminations have the potential to disrupt everything from distance learning to telework and telemedicine,” reports Torrent Freak.
Indeed, now that things like grocery shopping, banking, housing, government services and other basic life necessities are mainly conducted online (exclusively in some cases), cutting off someone’s Internet access isn’t far removed from cutting off their power or water supply.
And if major ISPs are willing to bow to the entertainment industry by metering out such draconian punishments, what’s to say they won’t do the same when pressured by governments or woke mobs?
“If Comcast is cutting people’s internet off for civil copyright infractions, whose to say they won’t start cutting people off for “hate speech” next?” asks Chris Menahan.
Patrick Wood is a leading and critical expert on Sustainable Development, Green Economy, Agenda 21, 2030 Agenda and historic Technocracy. He is the author of Technocracy Rising: The Trojan Horse of Global Transformation (2015) and co-author of Trilaterals Over Washington, Volumes I and II (1978-1980) with the late Antony C. Sutton.
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Bob Bobby
July 2, 2021 9:45 am
I got one of those over 10 yrs ago when my niece downloaded some garbage song so it didn’t just start. Don’t download copyrighted stuff & you won’t have a problem.
Better yet, leace it up to those who have Copyrighted their material to protect their Copyrighted Material and take the self-appointed Nanny cop, COMCAST, non-legal law enforcement out of the picture completely. What they charge for their cable services borders on criminal theft.
They want you to download copyrighted stuff. They always have. Hard for people to believe, because most believe words over actions. But if they didn’t want you downloading stuff, they could make it impossible.
Freeland_Dave
July 2, 2021 12:35 pm
COMCAST, the Facebook of Internet Service Providers. Guilty until proven innocent. DON’T use COMCAST for anything. Those of you who live in cities, complain to your City Coyncils and drive COMCAST out. COMCAST does not own the utility in the street you get cable from. Check with your City Attorney and obtain a copy of the Cable Franchise Agreement. They are contracts that usually go for about 11 years and stipulate what the Cable provider can and cannot do. When it comes up for bid, get with the city attorney and rewrite the RFP and franchise agreemenmt and boot COMCAST… Read more »
[…] Read More: Comcast Joins Ranks Of ‘Big Brother’, Suspends User’s Internet Service Over Downloa… […]
Peter Stellas
July 3, 2021 7:16 am
If the events happened as described in this article, I truly cannot disagree with Comcast. They are refusing to allow themselves to be used for illegal activity, which is the downloading of copyrighted material without permission. In effect, they are defending copyright law. Therefore, unless Patrick Wood can give a clearer explanation, I am left with the impression that he is creating a false image of the events and that diminishes my trust in him.
You are missing the whole point. Since when is Comcast required to defend a copyright of some other company? Who gives them the right to determine if some copyright is being infringed? Nobody. They have zero mandate from anyone, and are taking it upon their own judgement. Comcast is a utility service that should stick to its own business. Those who own copyrights are responsible for defending them, and there are plenty of legal tools available to them to do so. If a person is entirely banned from Internet access, then Comcast is not only judge and jury, but also… Read more »
I think you’re the one who missed the point. The article wasn’t written about the basis of copyright infringement and who has the right to take action. It was about “censorship.” In the first few lines, including the title, it is very clear that people are concerned that if their internet can be interrupted for downloading illegal material what if their internet gets interrupted for downloading offensive content.
Censorship by big brother because you dont sing their song is not the same as downloading pirated material.
Peter, you are missing the b ig picture here. It’s not Comcast’s job to protect Copyright Law.. There are other remedies for that. Comcast is a Utility provider. IKt’s their job to make the internet work for their paying customers. They don’t need to be meddling in what is or is not downloaded or consumed. This is a very dangerous precedent for ALL of us!
incorrect. the ISP can be sued and subpoenaed for contact information to the infringer. the ISP is providing the pathway in which the infringer is downloading copyrighted material. sht rolls downhill.
I’m going to be blunt. whoever wrote this article as an idiot. people have been having issues with downloading pirated material since LimeWire days back in 2000, over 20 years ago. if you look up the law it talks about it being illegal to distribute copyrighted material for monetary gains, not own. the same way that you can record off the radio or record your favorite show off the TV as long as you don’t go around and sell it. the issue with Torrents is that when you download you seed. seedng is distributing. what these people do not understand… Read more »
wpDiscuz
I got one of those over 10 yrs ago when my niece downloaded some garbage song so it didn’t just start. Don’t download copyrighted stuff & you won’t have a problem.
Better yet, leace it up to those who have Copyrighted their material to protect their Copyrighted Material and take the self-appointed Nanny cop, COMCAST, non-legal law enforcement out of the picture completely. What they charge for their cable services borders on criminal theft.
For now.
And it is illegal too.
Eveything’s illegal. You’re illegal, if you use your own mind to think about things.
They want you to download copyrighted stuff. They always have. Hard for people to believe, because most believe words over actions. But if they didn’t want you downloading stuff, they could make it impossible.
COMCAST, the Facebook of Internet Service Providers. Guilty until proven innocent. DON’T use COMCAST for anything. Those of you who live in cities, complain to your City Coyncils and drive COMCAST out. COMCAST does not own the utility in the street you get cable from. Check with your City Attorney and obtain a copy of the Cable Franchise Agreement. They are contracts that usually go for about 11 years and stipulate what the Cable provider can and cannot do. When it comes up for bid, get with the city attorney and rewrite the RFP and franchise agreemenmt and boot COMCAST… Read more »
[…] Read More: Comcast Joins Ranks Of ‘Big Brother’, Suspends User’s Internet Service Over Downloa… […]
If the events happened as described in this article, I truly cannot disagree with Comcast. They are refusing to allow themselves to be used for illegal activity, which is the downloading of copyrighted material without permission. In effect, they are defending copyright law. Therefore, unless Patrick Wood can give a clearer explanation, I am left with the impression that he is creating a false image of the events and that diminishes my trust in him.
You are missing the whole point. Since when is Comcast required to defend a copyright of some other company? Who gives them the right to determine if some copyright is being infringed? Nobody. They have zero mandate from anyone, and are taking it upon their own judgement. Comcast is a utility service that should stick to its own business. Those who own copyrights are responsible for defending them, and there are plenty of legal tools available to them to do so. If a person is entirely banned from Internet access, then Comcast is not only judge and jury, but also… Read more »
I think you’re the one who missed the point. The article wasn’t written about the basis of copyright infringement and who has the right to take action. It was about “censorship.” In the first few lines, including the title, it is very clear that people are concerned that if their internet can be interrupted for downloading illegal material what if their internet gets interrupted for downloading offensive content.
Censorship by big brother because you dont sing their song is not the same as downloading pirated material.
Peter, you are missing the b ig picture here. It’s not Comcast’s job to protect Copyright Law.. There are other remedies for that. Comcast is a Utility provider. IKt’s their job to make the internet work for their paying customers. They don’t need to be meddling in what is or is not downloaded or consumed. This is a very dangerous precedent for ALL of us!
incorrect. the ISP can be sued and subpoenaed for contact information to the infringer. the ISP is providing the pathway in which the infringer is downloading copyrighted material. sht rolls downhill.
[…] https://www.technocracy.news/comcast-joins-ranks-of-big-brother-suspends-users-internet-service-over… […]
I’m going to be blunt. whoever wrote this article as an idiot. people have been having issues with downloading pirated material since LimeWire days back in 2000, over 20 years ago. if you look up the law it talks about it being illegal to distribute copyrighted material for monetary gains, not own. the same way that you can record off the radio or record your favorite show off the TV as long as you don’t go around and sell it. the issue with Torrents is that when you download you seed. seedng is distributing. what these people do not understand… Read more »