You might have noticed yesterday that some of your favorite sites could not be accessed. Sites like Wikipedia and Reddit, instead directed you to a protest page, where you could find out more about the SOPA and PIPA acts. Did the nationwide protests do anything? Are we still in danger of losing the internet as we know it?
Courtesy of inhabitat.com
The SOPA and PIPA Protests
The world stood up and took notice recently, as two anti-piracy bills were proposed – that would have given the US government the power to block access to websites that they claim have infringed copyright laws. In this age of social sharing and information, that kind of power would undermine everything businesses, marketers and content creators have worked towards.
Free and easy access to a world of information, wouldn’t be as free or as easy anymore. Sites across America protested by going dark on Wednesday, while many others promoted the signing of a protest petition. At the helm, was Google, Mozilla and Craigslist. Fortunately, over 4.5 million people took up the cause, and signed the petition. But what impact did this make?
The Results Are In
PCWorld reported today, that 25 Senators have now chosen to oppose the bill. Wikipedia’s effort, led to 162 million people being informed about the SOPA and PIPA acts. There was a rampant outburst on Twitter about the protests, with over 2.4 million tweets. Even the National Review, a conservative publication, was against the bill.
It seems as though the crisis has been averted for now. What isn’t clear, is how this mass social outcry is going to affect future bills. Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, was outraged by the protests, and accused the blogosphere of ‘terrorizing’ both Senators and Congressmen – so much so, that they withdrew their support for the bill.
The Continued Battle For Internet Freedom
Right now, there is not much room for a victory party. The next vote is coming soon, on January 24th. Whether the response will be the same is anyone’s guess. One thing is becoming very clear – the entertainment industry wants these bills to be passed. They are losing money daily, and won’t rest until they correct it.
This struggle is far from over. With so much pressure on Congress to both pass and dump the bills, who will win in the end? Experts have been saying that these bills will continue to make their way to Congress, one way or another. It’s up to the public to keep an eye on what’s going on in government and make their protests known.
It’s up to the tech people, the media, marketers and businesses online to make sure that their voices are heard. It will be a sorry day for everyone on the globe, when government can control the internet, what information is shared, and what sites you can visit. Social sharing is too new to ruin, by restricting its growth!
What do you think of the SOPA and PIPA acts? Let your voice be heard!
