This week the Digital Economy Bill passed its final stage in Parliament, gaining Royal Assent and being signed into law by the Queen.
The Act - which has been supported throughout its course in Parliament by local MP for Eastleigh, Mims Davies, owing to her role within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport – will, among other things, enable major improvements in broadband rollout and bring in unlimited fines against touts flouting limits on maximum ticket purchases.
Mims said:
“I am delighted that this legislation, on which I have played such an active role in creating, has been signed into law. We live in a digital age, and it is absolutely right that this Government ensures that necessary protections are in place.”
“This Act will crucially tackle two of the biggest issues facing many parents in the UK – protecting children from access to online pornography and online abuse. The Government has worked to ensure that the correct balance between protecting our young people online and online censorship is met, and I am glad that my parliamentary colleagues agreed with the way that we aim tackle this modern day issue.”
“I also join many of my constituents in welcoming greater penalties for those that flout limits on maximum ticket purchases, which have led to disproportionate ticket prices for those of us wishing to watch our favourite music acts and artists.”
Other areas that the Act will cover include giving Ofcom the role of overseeing the BBC, which is currently self-regulated, require internet service providers to provide compensation to customers if service requirements are not met and increase penalties for nuisance calls.