Web heroes and villains to be named and shamed

Nominations for the internet's heroes and villains of 2006 have been unveiled by the Internet Services Providers' Association (Ispa).

Despite leading the charge to reduce extortionate mobile roaming charges, European commissioner Viviane Reding has been nominated as an internet villain for "foisting the most arcane set of rules yet seen for prior registration of dot-eu domains", said the Ispa.

Ispa's 2006 villain nominees

♦ Commissioner Viviane Reding and the European Commission
♦ e360 insight
♦ Peter Black, executive chairman Next Generation Networks UK
♦ The British Phonographic Industry
♦ The US government

Ispa's 2006 hero nominees

♦ Annie Mullins, Vodafone
♦ Ofcom
♦ Simon Watkins and the Home Office team
♦ Stephen Carter, former Ofcom chief executive
♦ The EU

The Home Office team made the hero shortlist "for standing up to the European Union".

Ofcom appeared twice in the list of hero nominees. The telecoms watchdog got the nod for "arguing that Europe's Television without Frontiers Directive should not be applied to the internet". And former Ofcom chief executive Stephen Carter got a separate nomination for "building a good working relationship between the internet industry and Ofcom", the trade association said.

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) appeared on the five-strong shortlist for internet villains - for "applying pressure on Cable & Wireless and Tiscali to reveal the names and addresses of customers", according to the Ispa.

The internet hero and villain 'winners' will be revealed on 15 February 2007 at the Ispa awards along with winners in 14 other categories.