the Informer

Courtesy of sfexaminer.com

The proposed congressional bills that have the potential to affect so many Internet users known as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) pose a threat to the diversity and versatility of the Internet, but are currently on hold for now.

We stand at a time where there has been almost no regulation of online content and are at the forefront of what could theoretically rewrite the rule for constructing the Internet.

Simply put, SOPA and PIPA aim to regulate content on the Internet that violates copyright laws, namely websites such as The Pirate Bay and Wikipedia, places where content is distributed without permission, the piracy of material online.

If you’re not on top of current events in the news, you probably haven’t heard much about the proposed bills unless you tried to Wikipedia search something on Jan. 18, where you were greeted by a message of a 24-hour blackout in opposition to the bills.

It’s no surprise that it is just now that the issues are coming to light because of supporters of the bill such as Time Warner, the Motion Picture Association of America, CBS Corporation and NBC Universal who can and have chosen not to air stories about the detrimental effects of the bills on their news networks.

Until recently, the proposed bills would have given congress the power to cut off the supply of advertising revenue to websites that violate the bills and in turn force them to shutdown altogether, however the provision has been dropped from discussions. The bills also can allow congress to remove the addresses of these websites completely so if a user wants to go to PirateBay.org, the site will appear to not exist.
With the threat being as real as it is, the bills are currently being pushed aside for the time being due to the recent demonstrations, both online and in cities across the country, in opposition to the bill as well as a spark in debate from congressional and house leaders.

The House of Representatives released a statement concerning the matter this week in lieu of the Jan. 18 blackout of Wikipedia and Reddit. “I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns. It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problems of foreign thieves,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith said.

The real issue is that no one has proposed legislation that would regulate content on the web at this level before, on a broad spectrum. In theory, if these bills are passed we could see a transformation in the Internet and the foundation of what so many have taken for granted.
The bill could possibly have destructive effects on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Wikipedia, Reddit and Google among hundreds of others.

The opposition is claiming that it should not be their responsibility to regulate the content of their individual users. Although the bills aim to take down piracy, the effects could prove to be borderline censorship of the Internet, something active online users dread and are highly opposed to.

The bills, on hold for now, can still be passed and still pose a threat to anyone who has access to the Internet.