Under Gov't, Hollywood Pressure, ISPs To Spy on File-Sharers

And they'll interfere with your connection if you're naughty

The nation's major internet service providers by year's end will institute a so-called six-strikes plan, the "Copyright Alert System" initiative backed by the Obama administration and pushed by Hollywood and the major record labels to disrupt and possibly terminate internet access for online copyright scofflaws.

The plan, now four years in the making, includes participation by AT&T, Cablevision Systems, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Verizon. After four offenses, the historic plan calls for these residential internet providers to initiate so-called "mitigation measures" that might include reducing internet speeds and redirecting a subscriber's service to an "educational" landing page about infringement.