AT&T is about to cut internet service to customers accused of piracy

[Greg S]

What just happened? AT&T is breaking precedent by cutting off internet service to those who have been accused of pirating content. Numerous warnings were sent out previously, but this does welcome a new era of how customers can be treated without necessarily following strict procedures.

For the first time ever, AT&T is about to stop providing internet services to more than a dozen subscribers over piracy related matters. Of the accused, each customer should have received no less than nine warnings of their activities from owners of content.

Back in 2013, many ISPs adopted a six strike system in conjunction with the Recording Industry Association of America and Motion Picture Association of America. Last year, the six strike system was shut down due to its overall lack of effectiveness. Since then, ISPs have had to come up with their own new policies on how to handle piracy cases.

During the time of six strikes, AT&T stated that it would never throttle connections or cancel a customers service even after the first six alleged violations. Its intent was to educated people about what they were doing wrong.

"A small number of customers who continue to receive additional copyright infringement notifications from content owners despite our efforts to educate them, will have their service discontinued."

As part of AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner, several Time Warner segments could potentially be responsible for filing complaints against internet subscribers. AT&T did confirm that content owners indicated that they had evidence of users sharing copyrighted materials. However, AT&T would not confirm or deny that a former Time Warner business was the group making a complaint.

Given that this is the first time that end users are actually having their services cut off, it is likely that the alleged offenders have been repeatedly downloading and/or distributing copyrighted materials on a large scale. It is still highly unlikely that finding a song or two from shady sources will get your internet cutoff, but sharing hundreds of files may now be more thoroughly investigated.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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https://www.techspot.com/news/77297-att-about-cut-internet-service-customers-accused-piracy.html

 

[fps4ever]

I have no problem with this. This is usually held for the most egregious pirates not your average joe.

 

[MaXtor]

I only pirate what I can't get legally or conveniently at a reasonable price. I currently pay for 5 different streaming services (4 TV and 1 music) plus youtube premium. Anything else I connect to a VPN and torrent, mind you that's a fairly rare occurrence, the streaming services and youtube cover 99.9% of everything I "need."

 

[Trillionsin]

"More than a dozen users will lose their internet"

More than a dozen, eh?

 

[OutlawCecil]

The importance of a VPN folks. All internet providers are allowed to monitor usage now, so regardless of how you use the internet, you should always be on a VPN. It's nobody's business what you do on the internet!

 

[Dricksus]

It should also be stated that this is likely high volume torrenters, this isnt for your average person.

 

[Charles Shoults]

So much for innocent until proven guilty.

 

[SomeITGuy]

So much for innocent until proven guilty.

That's for criminal courts where the end result is being put in jail, not cutting someones internet off because they are morons...allegedly.

 

[Dimitrios]

I use KODI once a week or so for a movie. Should I be worried? l live in America and have been tight on money the last year or so. What would you recommend for VPN with Amazon Firestick?

Also is it true most VPN's aren't guaranteed and also can make your streaming bog down?
Also Amazon Prime, Plutotv & Tubi do have a decent amount of movies for FREE and what over movie sites do you people recommend?

 

[Evernessince]

So in other words, they can ban whoever they wish with zero evidence of deprive them of a service that is necessary to daily life including applying for a job and paying bills.

Seems illegal.

 

[toooooot]

Get VPN and they wont know you re pirating.

 

[toooooot]

I use KODI once a week or so for a movie. Should I be worried? l live in America and have been tight on money the last year or so. What would you recommend for VPN with Amazon Firestick?

Also is it true most VPN's aren't guaranteed and also can make your streaming bog down?
Also Amazon Prime, Plutotv & Tubi do have a decent amount of movies for FREE and what over movie sites do you people recommend?

PIA is one of the best currently. And they state they dont keep logs.

 

[SomeITGuy]

So in other words, they can ban whoever they wish with zero evidence of deprive them of a service that is necessary to daily life including applying for a job and paying bills.

Seems illegal.

Sorry bro, but Suspected Internet Pirate is not a protected class in the USA.

 

[Dustyn]

Oh Canada!

 

[S1lence]

Get VPN and they wont know you re pirating.

So 100% guarantee that ISP's can't see what's happening when their subscribers use a VPN?

 

[Dimitrios]

So 100% guarantee that ISP's can't see what's happening when their subscribers use a VPN?

That's what I'm wondering too.

 

[Evernessince]

Sorry bro, but Suspected Internet Pirate is not a protected class in the USA.

This has nothing to do with piracy and everything to do with companies blocking citizens from a vital utility based on unproven claims. Last I checked, it was innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

 

[p51d007]

I've grabbed a network tv show from time to time, when I miss one that airs, because when I've gone to their network site to watch it a week later, IT WILL NOT PLAY correctly. After a segment airs, it goes to the commercial, and when the commercial is over, instead of moving onto the next segment, it will rerun the first segment, or rerun the commercial. Doesn't happen all the time but after 10-15 minutes of frustration, you give up and just download it elsewhere.
Hey, I don't mind playing fair, but, when their @#$)^! site doesn't WORK, you seek elsewhere.

 

[treetops]

Cox cable has been doing this for a while now, they told me if you get caught pirating 3 times in one year you are banned from using cox cable.

 

[Misagt]

Sorry bro, but Suspected Internet Pirate is not a protected class in the USA.

This has nothing to do with piracy and everything to do with companies blocking citizens from a vital utility based on unproven claims. Last I checked, it was innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Sadly we no longer live in a innocent til proven guilty world. It's been replaced with mob mentality and as long as the right person accuses you, you are guilty. Don't worry many people will defend this as saying "it's a company they can do what they want." But it's just a deflection to keep you from talking about the really issue which is you can lose rights without proof.

 

[Xclusiveitalian]

So much for innocent until proven guilty.

That's for criminal courts where the end result is being put in jail, not cutting someones internet off because they are morons...allegedly.

Well just remember if they cut you off, you have no obligation to pay because they broke the contract. Then switch to a real provider cause AT&T is pure garbage.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Then switch to a real provider cause AT&T is pure garbage.

And who would that be? They are all garbage.

 

[wiyosaya]

So in other words, they can ban whoever they wish with zero evidence of deprive them of a service that is necessary to daily life including applying for a job and paying bills.

Seems illegal.

Ajit Pai says it's legal. What else matters?

Sadly we no longer live in a innocent til proven guilty world. It's been replaced with mob mentality and as long as the right person accuses you, you are guilty. Don't worry many people will defend this as saying "it's a company they can do what they want." But it's just a deflection to keep you from talking about the really issue which is you can lose rights without proof.

As I see it, this is covered at the very least by Ajit Pai's end to NN. They are clearly stating what they are doing.

However, I would not be surprised to learn that the contract of any ISP has some fine print that says something along the lines of

"This contract can be terminated by either party at any time for any reason".

I'm not defending it. I am simply pointing out that it may be legal from multiple points of view.

 

[cliffordcooley]

As I see it, this is covered at the very least by Ajit Pai's end to NN. They are clearly stating what they are doing.

Why is it NN always seems to come up? With or without NN, I've never witnessed any changes to our crappy ISP services. You can blame it on NN and you can blame it on the lack of NN. The way I see it NN is irrelevant. And to keep this on topic NN was in effect and people was still getting their service disconnected. So once again NN is irrelevant even on this topic.

 

[LenovoX]

The importance of a VPN folks. All internet providers are allowed to monitor usage now, so regardless of how you use the internet, you should always be on a VPN. It's nobody's business what you do on the internet!

paying for a VPN service is like paying for streaming... it's redundant