This article at copyrightaction.com "The Digital Economy Bill : what's yours is ours" and "The ICO code : put that camera away, my face is private" conflates the issue of what is "private data" which is the purview of the Information Commissioner which usually protects stored information enforcing the Data Protection Act.
You're right about the amateurs taking up the slack.
The problem is they will be ousted by the mob who will do it for free just to get their photo in print.
Anyone capable of seeing lightning and hearing thunder can take a photograph.
Where there's no requirement for creativity or artistic input, the improvements in P&S technology, intelligent auto, larger sensors, less noise.
You don't even need a dSLR any more - how does that affect the photography market?