The Labour Party’s dismissal of House of Lords amendments aimed at protecting copyright holders from Big Tech’s unchecked use of creative works has ignited concern across the political spectrum. By disregarding the views of the Lords and the wider opposition, Labour is reinforcing a troubling trend: once a government, left or right, expands state control or erodes personal freedoms, those liberties seldom return. Instead, successive administrations build upon previous restrictions, tightening their grip in ways never originally intended.
The Lessons of History
History offers endless examples of how measures introduced under the pretense of security, fairness, or modernisation morph into broader mechanisms of control.
Anti-terrorism legislation, originally designed to counter extremist threats, has been repurposed in some instances for far more trivial infractions, such as local councils using surveillance powers to monitor improper rubbish disposal or unauthorised parking.
Similarly, public order laws have been stretched to curb peaceful protests or political dissent, demonstrating how any form of government intervention, once enacted, rarely remains confined to its initial scope.
An example of justice system abuse
The UK’s current prison crisis starkly illustrates this principle. “Three strikes” sentencing policies—first championed as a deterrent against repeat offenders—have instead overwhelmed the justice system, leading to overcrowded prisons and the early release of dangerous criminals to compensate.
In the United States, while incarceration rates have historically fluctuated between Democratic and Republican administrations, one undeniable fact remains: the steady expansion of state-led punitive measures has created a prison-industrial complex that no government, left or right, has successfully reversed.
Education under threat
Education standards also suffer under this creeping cycle of intervention.
While Labour claims to champion inclusivity, its track record of restrictive policies, such as rigid curriculum overhauls and bureaucratic assessment methods, has been shown time and again to exacerbate systemic inequalities rather than solving them.
Conservative-led governments, though traditionally more focused on vocational training, rarely repeal Labour’s policies, instead layering their own initiatives on top, resulting in an ever-complicated system that prioritises compliance over quality learning.
The time to voice your opinion is now
The pattern is clear: once freedoms and rights are curtailed, the chances of reversal are slim. Each new government inherits the controls of its predecessors, reshaping them rather than dismantling them.
Labour’s stance on copyright law is merely the latest iteration of this troubling trend, where policies enacted under the guise of progress, justice, or security ultimately pave the way for unforeseen restrictions that outlive their original purpose.
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Dean Goldberg is a career muti-media professional with a history of Raindance since 2002 when he sponsored the British Independent Film Awards. Since COVID, Dean has parlayed his unique business skills to developing new financing protocols and strategies for independent feature films – and all this since taking courses at Raindance since the naughties. He is currently developing an exciting community based app, TapInto, which is in startup phase.
