AT&T Working on File-Sharing Blocker

Another blow has been dealt to the internet’s filesharing community with AT&T’s latest creation. Its new technology can detect, block and ban file-sharers on a network, according to the patent AT&T just filed. Titled “Methods, devices and computer program products for regulating network activity using a subscriber scoring system,” the technology will analyze network activity to define users by “risk class”, and block them from accessing certain file-sharing websites. This would allow the ISP “to take action to curtail illegal behavior if necessary,” according to the patent’s wording. The documentation claims that anti-piracy methods have failed, and this technology can upregulation significantly. AT&T hasn’t announced whether it would launch this on its own network yet, but the technology could easily be leased to other firms.