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British ISP Sky Broadband Cuts Off ACS:Law

Posted by timothy on from the what-about-net-neutrality? dept.

An anonymous reader writes "British ISP Sky Broadband cut off ACS:Law and refuses to cooperate after at least 4,000 of their customers' information was carelessly leaked. According to Sky Broadband, 'We have suspended all co-operation with ACS:Law with immediate effect. This suspension will remain in place until ACS:Law demonstrates adequate measures to protect the security of personal information.' Sky Broadband had been providing customer information to ACS:Law as part of their anti-piracy operation."

10 of 121 comments (clear)

  1. blackmail by MadUndergrad · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So the blackmailer accidentally exposes the blackmail, and Sky is upset not because they've been working with a blackmailer but because the blackmail got out early. Classy.

    1. Re:blackmail by naich · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Everybody who gives even the smallest shit about the way Sky treat their customers should immediately unsubscribe to all Sky services.

      But that would mean that they couldn't watch football. Oh well. It was a nice idea. Carry on screwing everyone with impunity Sky.

  2. Rudyard Kipling by Bob9113 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation,
    For fear they should succumb and go astray;
    So when you are requested to pay up or be molested,
    You will find it better policy to say: --

    "We never pay any-one Dane-geld,
    No matter how trifling the cost;
    For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
    And the nation that plays it is lost!"

    - Kipling

    ISPs, I know you see dollar signs in your eyes when you think of ways to be the gatekeeper, and find colluding with the usurpers profitable. But when you feed them, they grow. Be it government, lobby, or privileged corporation seeking more privilege, they will never stop. If you think you can make them your ally, you are fools. Their hunger cannot be sated. They will eat everyone you feed them, then finding their bellies fat but their plates empty, they will devour you.

    Serve the user. Fight for the right to provide an honest service. There you will find a rare thing these days: A business model which is stable in the long run. The road you are on leads to fleeting riches followed by Herculean efforts just to restore the tenth part of what you are pissing away today.

    --
    Stop-Prism.org: Opt Out of Surveillance
    1. Re:Rudyard Kipling by AJWM · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Exactly so.

      "...we've proved it again and again,
      That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
          You never get rid of the Dane."

      --
      -- Alastair
  3. Good tactic by russotto · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This does suggest a way those willing to take direct action could hurt the xxAAs efforts. DDoS attacks are just a nuisance, but theft of sensitive data drives a wedge between the xxAAs and the ISPs they need to co-operate with them.

    1. Re:Good tactic by fluffy99 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This does suggest a way those willing to take direct action could hurt the xxAAs efforts. DDoS attacks are just a nuisance, but theft of sensitive data drives a wedge between the xxAAs and the ISPs they need to co-operate with them.

      It's a fine line though. Some politician could easily spin this so that it appears that evil pirates are hacking into systems and exposing the personal data of innocent folks. Of course more legislation would be needed to go after these evil-doers.

    2. Re:Good tactic by Pax681 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      without the DDOS attack the info would never have been accessible to those who took it thus , it could be said the DDOS was successful

  4. Great PR by Psychor · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It seems Sky are very quick to trumpet in a press release how wonderful they are now that they've decided not to continue handing over thousands of customer details to a company with woefully inadequate security procedures (for now). However personally I'd be more impressed if they'd verified that the details would be handled securely before handing them over and getting them leaked in the first place.

    I guess the main lesson for us Brits here is to make sure all your pornography is hardcore enough that it's illegal in the UK, then you can't be held in breach of copyright for sharing it. You will of course break some other laws, but there isn't much that's legal here these days anyway!

  5. I'll say it. by Revvy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Nice work, anonymous. Thanks.

  6. acs law probably broke the law by Colin+Smith · · Score: 2, Insightful

    the data protection act requires you to take reasonable steps to protect information . Putting it on a web site does not seem reasonable .

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    Deleted