US cable provider Comcast is
interfering with BitTorrent file transfer traffic for its broadband subscribers.
A test by Associated Press demonstrated that
the provider prevented users from sharing files on the file sharing network. The
firm achieves this by sending a message to the computer requesting the file
which instructs it to stop communicating.
Even though it is common knowledge that BitTorrent is used for downloading
copyrighted materials on a massive scale, the network also has plenty of
legitimate applications. Several Linux distributions including Ubuntu, for
instance, rely on the network to dispense their software. In the Associated
Press test, the agency attempted to share and download a copy of the King James
Bible, which is in the public domain.
Comcast is the second largest internet provider in the US. The firm
previously denied that it blocked or discriminated against BitTorrent traffic.
Comcast claims that the upload-blocking measure is intended to ensure network
uptime for all users. The video and audio files that are up- and downloaded
through the file sharing network take up the vast majority of all network
traffic, and could degrade network speeds for other users. Comcast's defence,
however, sparked some questions, given that the tested file measured only a few
megabytes.
Instead, it rekindled the debate about
net neutrality, which revolves
around the question of whether a provider should be allowed to arbitrarily block
content. Although vendors hold the legal reign over their own networks, critics
caution that their commercial interests could interfere with free speech or open
competition.
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