Being realistic for a moment here, anyone who thinks controlling the content of data packets (datagrams) is possible or for anyone to say such & such a content is illegal i.e. files being shared. Shows how little they really understand the nature of the internet or the technologies involved. In other words to think you can control something like file sharing is 100% totally naive & shows little or no idea about the subject.
**Politicians & Governments generally speaking have to "poor or very poor grasp" of computing or IT & this is born out by successive large scale IT disasters over the years. Such as for example:- The CSA, The Passport Agency, control of home office data or other citizen personal data. i.e. many many laptops which have all been stolen with sensitive data on them.
**Perhaps the fact that politicians have a poor grasp of IT could be seen as good thing in the end, i.e. less government interference??. Except as we have no national IT policy for the future of the internet (as far as I know?) in the UK we are definitely going to lag behind in terms of E-Commerce and domestic internet services as the infra-struture creeks at the seems as demand increases in the future. Unless something is done to change the telecoms infrastructure at a national level (BT's 21CN is a good step in the right direction but I doubt it will be enough in the short to medium term).
**Nobody can control file sharing, even if some method was found it would soon be worked around & would quickly become redundant. File sharers would find new pathways or new techniques.
Ivan.