TalkTalk Members - TalkTalk Government Agreement

TalkTalk Government Agreement

TalkTalk has signed an agreement today with government, content companies and other ISPs. This note explains what this means for you.

As part of the agreement we will do two things:

run a test writing to some TalkTalk customers to inform them that content companies allege they are illegally downloading
work with content companies and other ISPs to provide customers information and more 'legal' services whilst protecting your privacy and rights

We will continue to fight to protect your privacy and your right to freedom of use of the Internet. What we will not do is:

disconnect your service or slow the speed of your connection
monitor your traffic
divulge your details to content companies (unless forced to do so by a court)

Some content companies are pushing for changes in the law to force us to do these things - we will vigorously fight any such changes in the law.

More information: Government consultation on legislative options to address illicit P2P file-sharing.

Your Questions Answered

Q: How does TalkTalk know who to send a letter to?

Content companies plan to send us the IP addresses of sites which they say are being used to offer illegal content for others to upload. They find these IP addresses by monitoring the Intenet. TalkTalk are able to match the IP address to a individual broadband connection, they will then send a letter to the owner of that account.

Q: What would cause me to receive a letter?

If the content companies send TalkTalk an IP address that matches to your broadband connection then they may send you a letter. However, there are many reasons why you might have done anything wrong and the claim unfounded:

The content that is being offered for upload may actually be being shared legally
The content company may have made a mistake in identifying the IP address
It may be someone else in the household that offered the content for upload
It may be that someone 'hijacked' or 'piggybacked' on your wi-fi connection

Q: What should I do if I receive a letter?

Firstly you should consider whether the claim is unfounded. As explained above there are a number of reasons why the claim by the content company may be incorrect.

You might also want to consider whether you wish to use alternative so-called 'legal' sites.

TalkTalk will take no action against you and they will not divulge your details to the content company unless forced to do so by a court.

Q: Does the content company have my details to pursue me?

If a copyright infringement has actually occurred content company have some legal powers to attempt to prosecute you. To do this they would need to know your details (e.g. name, address), which they do not currently have. TalkTalk have and we will continue to refuse to divulge your details to them or any other content companies. However, a content company may seek a court order requiring them to divulge your details. TalkTalk will vigorously fight on your behalf to resist this, but they feel they should let you know that they cannot guarantee that they will be successful in protecting your details.

Q: Where can I find legitimate services?

You can find a guide to digital music including a list of the top 20 sites to download music at: www.mytalktalk.co.uk and from the list on the left click on Music and then Downloads.