If you used Google today, you probably noticed the logo is blacked out. If you tried to use Wikipedia today, you realized that you cannot use it. Why is this happening?
Today, January 18, thousands of Internet websites are taking part in a “blackout” to protest two anti-piracy bills that are currenly being discussed in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. By removing content from their website or brandishing their website with a black box, companies and organizations such as Google, WordPress, American Library Association, Firefox and Flickr, are demonstrating the potential impact of the bills.
Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is up for debate in the House of Representatives and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) is being considered by the Senate. The proposed legislation is designed to tackle online piracy but many opponets say it threatens free speech and would give the government sweeping censorship abilities, similar to those used in China, Iran and Syria. According to Mozilla, “Your favorite websites, both inside and outside the US, could be blocked based on a single infringement claim, without any due process of law.”
The White House issued a statement earlier this week saying they “will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet.”
If you feel strongly about this issue (pro or con), you may wish to contact your Representative or Senator to voice your opinion.
