Against SOPA: Will cyber protests derail a controversial anti-piracy bill?
Most of us have been taught from a young age that sharing is an important part of being a good person. We share photos, music, videos and other media almost every day. And let's face it: Sharing is what makes the cyber world go ‘round.
To many politicians, corporations and lobbying groups, however, sharing is not caring.
At the center of the latest debate on sharing, the Internet and intellectual property rights is a new bill called the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), introduced into the House of Representatives by Lamar Smith (R-TX). A recent article in the New York Times reported that Smith's aim was to shut down "Foreign Web sites that distribute American-made entertainment and counterfeit products, like fake pharmaceuticals." Smith has been quoted as saying this type of piracy threatens American jobs and the health of its citizens and economy.
On the surface, SOPA appears to be like other legislation that bars United States citizens from using copyrighted materials. Increasing numbers of Internet users — as well as Google and Facebook — are concerned about how far-reaching SOPA's impact could be, and they dislike it.
“I learned about SOPA through the Internet. I live on the Internet because of the nature of my job [in IT],” said Brigham Young University student Colby Goettel. “Every single person I have in my Google Plus circles in opposed to SOPA and has openly stated their disgust.”
There are numerous, conflicting theories as to what might transpire if the legislation is passed. The main complaint from critics of SOPA is that it could damages fundamental rights to freedom of speech and gives the government far too much control.
“This is the precursor to censorship in our country and becoming a country like China,” said Berkeley, Calif. resident Erick Tewari. “(In China) it's extremely censored and their citizens are controlled by the government.”
Others take that complaint a step further.
“I think the biggest reason why I am opposed to SOPA is because of the very principle behind it: if you have enough money you can pay off the right people and get the laws you want passed,” said Goettel. “This is morally wrong. This is not how America operates."
"This is a back door attempt by large corporations to stifle free speech and make us think what they want us to believe,” said Tewari. “I think we should be informed and not let these politicians control our thoughts.”
Not all politicians are supportive of SOPA. According to recent media reports, even the White House is voicing a negative opinion about SOPA. They will not support SOPA because they think it could hurt both small and large businesses.
Some companies — notably Internet provider GoDaddy.com — voiced initial support, but have changed their minds because of threatened consumer boycotts.
“On Christmas Day, Go Daddy lost 16,191 domains because of their support of SOPA,” said Goettel. “The company turned around and changed their views.”
While this was only a small victory for those fighting against SOPA, websites like Reddit.com are taking matters into their own hands and staging their own protests by blacking out their sites..
“This coming Wednesday, reddit.com is having a blackout. For 12 hours, this site is blocking out their site and only showing information about the Stop Online Piracy Act,” Goetell said. “There is [also] a strong push for Facebook users to post up as much information that day about SOPA.”
A strong push by websites and Internet users via Facebook and Twitter could help those opposed to SOPA, as well as serving as an indicator that cyber boycotts are becoming a powerful force to be reckoned with.
“...We can make a difference if we stand together and fight for what's best, Goettel said. “I strongly believe that this coming Wednesday will go down in history as a win for the Internet, America, free speech, and the people of this world.”
Katie Mussmann is a Spring 2012 Paste BN Collegiate Correspondent. You can learn more about her here.
This story originally appeared on the Paste BN College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.