In a recent poll conducted on the issue of severing network connections of suspected illegal file sharers, it was found that a majority of people supported the idea that the suspects should be first tried in a court of law before any action is taken.

In the first public opinion taken on the issue, around 70% of the users advocated a fair trial for the suspects. The opinion of majority falls in line with the opinion of TalkTalk and T-Mobile along with some other service providers, who believe that the proposal of blocking services for people suspected of illegal file sharing will bring both providers and their customers massive losses. They also express their fears on wrong prosecution of users on account of WiFi hijacks.

Responding to the results of the poll, the executive director of the Open Rights Group, Jim Killock, suggested that the poll results are a clear indication that the government is taking too harsh a measure for curbing illegal internet activity. He also pointed out that a majority of the people support the proposition that internet be withdrawn only after a full-fledged court action. He also emphasized on the necessity of rethinking the whole scheme in the interests of the public.

A parallel conclusion that was drawn suggested that the stance of the government is quite likely to hurt its vote bank, especially because youngsters are against the idea. Other than 16% of the people supporting the government’s move, there are over 30% of people who are strictly against it, while another 14% are less likely to vote for a party implementing such policies.

For information on your ISPs policies and practices, click here for a dedicated broadband website for consumers’ blogs and articles which give an insight into the broadband provider