ISPs Are the New Secret Police, Says Report

More and more European Union member states are delegating online policing to private companies and Internet service providers, according to a study by the organization European Digital Rights (EDRI).

Where law enforcement agencies would traditionally have tackled the problem of illegal online content, more powers are being given to ISPs in the name of industry self-regulation. That trend is likely to become stronger with increasing "extra-judicial sanctions" against consumers, EDRI said. International trade agreements such as the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), and bilateral trade agreements the E.U. has signed with India and South Korea, all leave the door open for intermediary liability.