Government Pushes Online Public Services Despite Net Cut-Off Plan

The government has announced ambitious plans to migrate an increasing number of key government services online including making some “exclusively online”.

But critics have pointed out that while this approach could have cost savings, it is at odds with controversial plans to block the internet access of file-sharers included in the Digital Economy Bill. Moving more services online could make it more likely that Internet access will become a fundamental human right – which could create serious problems when it comes to blocking access.

In a speech today ahead of the pre-budget report expected on Wednesday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown outlined ambitious targets to migrate an increasing number of government services online. In his speech, Brown even said some services would move “exclusively” online in a move which could improve public sector efficiency but has implications for non-net users including those who can’t get access to broadband or could have their access blocked as part of plans to punish persistent file-sharers championed by business secretary Lord Mandelson.

“During the next year we will set out service by service how transaction with government will move online as rapidly as possible. We will start with student loans, job seekers allowance, working tax credits, and then child benefit,” said the Prime Minister.

Mr Brown also explained that the long-term plan is for the government to move as many transactional services online as possible. “In 2011 we will also move to online exclusive VAT returns and employer tax returns. Our aim over the next five years is to shift the great majority of our large transactional services to become exclusively online and this has the potential in the first step to save £400 million but as transaction after transaction goes online, billions more will be saved,” he said.

It is not clear what “exclusively” might mean in this instance given that a significant proportion of the UK does not have or want Internet access. The UK Treasury was approached for comment but did not reply in time for this article.

The Prime Minister said that migrating more public services online, combined with other “efficiency savings” could help to save £12bn over four years. Earlier this month, it emerged that the government is working on a new holistic telecoms strategy which could save the country £3.2 billion over the next ten years, according to a leaked draft of a document entitled Government ICT Strategy: New World, New Challenges, New Opportunities.

But despite touting the benefits and savings of an increasing use of online applications for public sector services, the government is also pushing ahead with plans to cut-off the access of file-sharers. The government gave more details of the plan, first announced in the summer, during the Queen’s speech in November. Included in the Digital Economy Bill, the plan will involve a two-stage strategy to combat illegal file-sharing consisting of an escalating series of sanctions.

The government’s hard-line approach to file-sharing has been heavily criticised by ISPs such as BT and TalkTalk, which have complained about the high costs of implementing such a scheme as well as the difficulties of enforcement. In October TalkTalk’s executive director of strategy and regulation Andrew Heaney said that the approach was “based on the principle of ‘guilty until proven innocent’ and substitutes proper judicial process for a kangaroo court”.

The UK government’s ability to cut off illegal file sharers could also come under EU scrutiny, as opinions on internet piracy laws continue to clash. On 6 October, European telecoms ministers formally rejected Amendment 138, which allowed governments and rights holders to force UK ISPs to disconnect their customers from the internet, opting instead for a watered-down provision stating that any measures must be based the presumption of innocence.

It was also announced in November that from 2011, Spain would become the first major European country to give its citizens a legal right to buy broadband internet of at least one megabyte per second at a regulated price, wherever they live in the country (Finland passed a similar measure in October). Looking ahead, if broadband comes to be considered a legal right throughout Europe, the UK government’s plans to cut off file-sharers could be considered a breach of human rights which could become more likely given the migration of government services online announced by the Prime Minister this week.

In November, the chair of Ofcom’s Consumer Panel said government departments could stimulate demand for broadband services if only they would put the services that people use online. “Better, more interactive public services online could give more people a reason to get online,” said Anna Bradley, at the Westminster eForum in London. “By showing people how to claim benefits, get heath advice or study for a qualification, we can increase people’s skills and understanding and increase broadband penetration. We can also make savings for the taxpayer.”