Swedish ISPs to stop logging IP addresses

New anti-piracy directives allow copyright owners to request user IP addresses from ISPs

Several internet service providers in Sweden have vowed to stop logging users' IP addresses after fears about the privacy implications of a new copyright law.

Tele2 said that it would no longer be logging IP addresses in order to preserve user privacy and anonymity.

The move comes in the wake of new anti-piracy directives which allow copyright owners to request that service providers hand over the IP addresses of users while investigating possible software piracy and copyright infringement cases.

Web traffic in Sweden plummeted earlier this month when the legislation was enacted.

Tele2 made the decision after a considerable outcry from its users over the privacy implications, according to reports. Swedish telcos AllTele and Bahnhof both vowed to take up similar policies earlier this month, also citing an outcry from customers.

Software piracy and copyright violation has become a top issue in Sweden, which recently played host to the high-profile case against the owners of the controversial Pirate Bay website.

The four owners of the site were sentenced to one year in jail for operating the Pirate Bay service, which allowed users to find and exchange pirated materials. Attorneys in the case have called for a retrial due to a possible conflict of interest with the judge.