The Internet Goes On Strike To Stop Censorship

Today, many major websites are partaking in the largest online protest in history to stop internet censorship bills (known as SOPA and PIPA) from being enacted in the United States. So far, U.S. Representitives have put the brakes on SOPA, however PIPA (Protect-IP Act) is still a real threat to our rights as Americans and the principles we uphold as a country. If this piece of legislation passes, it will dampen the creative innovators and severely inhibit people's access to information around the world. Major sites, like Google, Tumblr, and Wikipedia, are taking a stand by blacking out their sites.

Not only is the internet striking, but in New York City people are rallying in front of the offices of Senators Charles Schumer and Kirstin Gillibrand. For more info on the rally go HERE.

To read more about SOPA and PIPA and the affects of these legislations go HERE.

English Wikipedia's first ever blackout for 24 hours on January 18th, 2012:

Google's blackout:

Tumblr is giving you the option to black out your own blogs in protest:

It states:

Thanks to action by a broad and bipartisan coalition of Internet users, companies, and organizations, the U.S. House of Representatives has now put the brakes on SOPA, a well-intentioned but deeply flawed bill that would use Internet censorship to combat overseas copyright infringement. Even President Obama's White House has joined the opposition.

But nevertheless, the Senate is continuing to move forward — and fast — with its equally dangerous version of the bill, called PIPA, the Protect-IP Act. As written, PIPA would import censorship and surveillance techniques pioneered by countries like China and Iran, reversing longstanding U.S. policy on Internet freedom, betraying U.S. First Amendment values, damaging our standing around the world, threatening our job-creating innovators, and undermining Internet security for everyone.

Today is a day for action across the Internet. Learn about these destructive bills. Tell your Senator what you think. Congress needs to hear from you.

The rally is reminiscent of November’s protest of SOPA by Tumblr, when the site put black bars across all their text, photos, and content in order to raise awareness of this Act’s consequences for the online community.  See our previous article HERE.