internet protocol addresses

Internet service providers have pledged not to "spy" on the web habits of customers as part of an agreement with the government to punish illegal sharing of music and films.

Fears have been raised after six of the UK's biggest ISPs agreed with the government, music industry body the BPI and the Motion Picture Association to significantly reduce illegal filesharing in the UK within three years.

Google has struck a deal to protect the personal data of millions of YouTube users in the $1bn (£497m) copyright court case brought against the video-sharing website by Viacom.

Under the deal, Google will make user and visitor information and internet protocol addresses from its YouTube subsidiary anonymous before handing over the data to Viacom in the US legal case.

Earlier this month a judge in New York ordered Google to pass on the personal data of more than 100 million YouTube users - many of them in the UK - to Viacom.