U.K. Ministers have been given a concession in the Digital Economy Bill which would allow them to amend existing laws on online piracy without the need for further legislation. Section 17 of the bill would give ministers “reserve powers” to draft fresh laws to tackle net-based copyright infringement without needing parliamentary approval. 

Critics from Google and Facebook have stated that the proposed powers were disproportionate and would damage digital innovation.  Ministers argued that such powers were needed to support copyright laws against future, more technically advanced forms of piracy.

“The government remains squarely behind the aims of clause 17 – we would not have written it into the bill if we did not think it was needed,” the Department for Business was quoted as saying.