Vendor forum leaves Ecommerce Bill in the balance

NEWS Major security vendors have won UK government backing for an industry-led body to oversee ecommerce - raising questions over the future of the long-delayed Ecommerce Bill. The organisation - to be known as the UK Trust Service Association - will develop industry standards for encryption and digital signatures. It is designed to replace any form of government legislation, which the industry fears will damage the development of ecommerce in the UK. According to John Skipper, head of trust and payments at BT Electronic Commerce, the telco is one the first companies invited to take part. "The government has agreed to the setting up of the UK Trust Service Association," he said, "and BT will be part of that." BT was unable to release the names of the other potential members. But Martha Bennett, analyst at Giga Research, expressed doubt over the industry-led model. "The government will expect the industry to come up with a workable model first," she said. "If it is going to be voluntary, there should be no consequences for those not taking part. Is there going to be discrimination? We need to see the details of such a plan first." Bennett added that caution needs to be taken over the make-up of any industry association. "With anybody of any size or dominance, you have got to be sure it's not a disguised attempt to take over the market," she warned. But industry representatives are worried the association may be premature, as the government's Electronic Communications Bill threatens to be delayed until autumn, after a series of hold-ups have left it stranded in Parliament. The rebranded Ecommerce Bill was slated to be launched three weeks ago, but now has only seven days to pass through Parliament before MPs leave for the summer recess. A spokesman for the DTI claimed the government will release a draft version of the Bill before the end of next week.