When you sign up to your internet hosting plan you will have a terms of service which you must agree to. These contain policies which you must abide to, if you don’t, you can face your internet being cut off from your ISP. But in many cases this action does not get used. However, recent changes in 2013 make it much easier for ISP’s to at least slow down your internet speed and even report your internet usage.

There is a new system called the Copyright Alert System which many large US ISP providers as well as MPAA and RIAA have made a deal with. Within this system it allows ISP’s to have a “six strike system” in which the user is given warning about illegal use of the internet (which mainly involves downloading and sharing copyright files). The system also allows your provider to monitor your internet usage and activity which essentially means that your privacy is no longer intact.

The first two strikes of the system will cause your ISP to send you email warnings of your internet usage which will state you are partaking in illegal activities. On your third and fourth strikes you’ll be asked to provide a receipt of the email warnings. On the fifth strike your ISP can reduce your internet speed or even make you call them to describe and explain the way you use the internet.

After your sixth strike your ISP provider is no longer a barrier and more of an opposition. They are now able to pass on your information to the copyright holders (mainly record and movie labels) who have in the past be known to sue users who illegally download content. During this process your internet will never be cut off and you’ll always have access to your emails.

In summary the CAS can never switch your internet off completely but can reduce the speed of your net. Along with that it can also be used against you as your details can be passed to copyright holders.