Several UK internet providers have told their customers not to blame their ISP if several of the online world's most prominent websites (not to mention many smaller ones), such as Wikipedia, Reddit, Internet Archive and Wordpress, suddenly become unavailable today. The 12 to 24 hour blackout is actually part of a wider protest against the USA's controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which has more than a passing similarity to the equally controversial UK 2010 Digital Economy Act (DEA).
Peter Bradwell, Open Rights Group (ORG), said:
"These two bills are so badly worded and too broad that perfectly lawful sites could be censored. One reason we're joining these protests is that we face very similar issues in UK copyright enforcement policies. Highlighting these flaws should help UK policy makers avoid making the same mistakes."
"These two bills are so badly worded and too broad that perfectly lawful sites could be censored. One reason we're joining these protests is that we face very similar issues in UK copyright enforcement policies. Highlighting these flaws should help UK policy makers avoid making the same mistakes."
At the time of writing only Wikipedia and Wordpress are semi-offline, although others will soon follow as the USA wakes and even Google plans to run some form of protest via its internet search engine. Go here to find more details about the #SOPASTRIKE (House Bill 3261) or watch this video.
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Comments: 9
DeductionPosted: 18 January, 2012 - 4:49 PM
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Needs some of the big domain reg and server provider etc companies to go on strike to make the effects really felt.
Which in turn would result in half the net not working for a day. A few odd sites taking it down for a day wont make a blind jot of difference to any politician.
beenPosted: 18 January, 2012 - 7:32 PM
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The greatest effect of today's action is to open the eyes of American voters to the corruption of their legislative assemblies. They've hugely raised public awareness in the US and some Congress members are already withdrawing support from SOPA/PIPA. Congress members can no longer do the corporations bidding on this issue without risking the loss of electoral support - the only factor that can compete with the huge campaign contributions.
DeductionPosted: 19 January, 2012 - 1:33 AM
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I doubt most congress people have even read about SOPA let alone understand it.
timelessPosted: 19 January, 2012 - 2:03 AM
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l thought wikipedia was supposed to go down.. l checked a few times and it was always up for me.
beenPosted: 19 January, 2012 - 8:50 PM
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Quite a success!
http://www.propublica.org/nerds/item/sopa-opera-update
DeductionPosted: 20 January, 2012 - 1:23 AM
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Hardly there are over 500 members of US Congress they do not even know how half of them are going to vote.
In fact from that story it appears to be total guess work what they have come up with.
beenPosted: 20 January, 2012 - 9:39 PM
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Well the war may not be over but the actions of Wikipedia and others have certainly made a difference to the political situation.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/20/us-usa-congress-internet-idUSTRE80J10X20120120
sopa is comingPosted: 2 February, 2012 - 11:50 AM
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SOPA is just coming to the uk and the sites already going to to protest again it. Even some of the sites owners now need a good [url=http://www.askacriminalsolicitor.com/]Criminal Solicitors[/url] to defend their selves.
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