A Secret Trade Agreement Could Place Major Restrictions On How We Use The Internet

As noted in Motherboard's past TPP coverage, Congress has the constitutional power to debate trade agreements. In the fast tracked TPP negotiations, Congress would be shut out, as would stakeholders and the individuals who actually helped build the internet's infrastructure. Diplomats, politicians, and select corporations would instead secretly settle on the language and regulations contained in the trade agreement. 

“You know that legislation is really, really bad when it's opposed by major tech companies as well as nearly every labor, environmental, and Internet freedom group in the country.”

Aside from constitutional concerns, leaked drafts of the bill suggest TPP would also prohibit the temporary storage of works in electronic form. Practically speaking, this would mean that YouTube videos, for example, wouldn't play properly, as temporary downloads of video files onto computers allows for faster and smoother viewing. Indeed, temporary files—from cached web pages to files stored on user browsers—are vital to viewing nearly any type of internet content. If enacted, it would be hard to predict exactly what type of legal effect TPP would have on internet users. 

Other TPP provisions would extend copyright terms from the life of the author plus 50 to 70 years; implement a three-strikes policies requiring ISPs to terminate user internet access without conviction of copyright infringement; and force ISPs to filter any content that could be seen as violating copyright. So much for due process. 

Read the full article… (motherboard.vice.com)