Internet Blackout: Just a Day or the Future?

If you experience problems on the web tomorrow, Wednesday January 18, 2012, it may not be your computer or connection.  Some companies, such as Wikipedia and Mozilla, have announced that their sites are going dark in opposition to the SOPA bill (H. R. 3261), which will be discussed by the House Judiciary Committee in February.

Photo by: Samuel Anderson (Gravity)

So, what is SOPA?  SOPA, or Stop Online Piracy Act (also known as Protect IP Act, PIPA, in the Senate), is an attempt by the media industry to stop online piracy.  Sounds good right?  Wrong.  The content in this bill are vague enough that it could cripple the internet as we know it.  Ever shared a song or music video on Facebook?  Under this bill, Facebook would be responsible for the content shared by its users.  If a user shares a song or video on Facebook, this will would allow the media industry to shutdown Facebook.  Same goes for any other site.  We could say good by to user-generated content, including blogs (which will probably be the first to go).

Do you use Dropbox or online storage sites?  Since those sites could potentially be used for piracy, they too could be shut down.

The title of the bill sounds good, but in the end, it will(!) cripple the internet.  We need to make sure this bill does not go through.  Here's a video to help explain SOPA:




PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

For more information about this bill, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act (although you may not be able to on Wednesday, annoying and another reason to stop SOPA).

Also, you can sign a petition at http://fightforthefuture.org/pipa

Or, the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), which will be participating in Blackout Day, also has detailed information about the bill and a place to send a message to your local representative(s):  http://blacklist.eff.org - just enter your zip code and street address to send message (on the left of the page).

Happy Blackout Day and may the internet live on while SOPA does not!

- Other Sources:
  Reuters - Internet Blackout Against U.S. Law Fails To Enlist Big Sites
       http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/18/us-internet-protest-idUSTRE80H01U20120118
  CBS News - Wikipedia, MoveOn, Reddit, Mozilla Shuts Down to Protest SOPA/PIPA, How to Prepare
        http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-57360174-501465/wikipedia-moveon-reddit-mozilla-shuts-down-to-protest-sopa-pipa-how-to-prepare/