What You Need To Know About SOPA: The US Internet Censorship Bill

In recent weeks, a massive battle has been going on. A battle between the U.S. Government and the U.S. Citizens. You see, our lovely federal government has decided that it thinks it has the right to tell us what we can and cannot see on the internet.

One abominable shame of a congressman, Lamar Smith, along with his cohorts, have been bought out by various lobbyists working for the media industry. Yes, the same MPAA and RIAA that have been suing 12 year olds and single moms.

They’ve decided that it’s not our job to choose what we read on the internet, but theirs. They’ve decided that if Iran and Communist China can have oppressive, dictatorial governments that force their citizens into dark little “national internets,” strictly controlled by “big brother,” so can we! After all, if it works for them, it could work for us! (one lobbyist was actually quoted as saying exactly that to our congressmen).

If this doesn’t infuriate, disgust and disturb you, there is a problem. A big one.

The bill is called SOPA, rather creatively named the “Stop Online Piracy Act” in order to garner support from ignorant representatives and congressmen (which so happen to form the vast majority of our government).

Simultaneously, the senate is trying to pass a bill called PIPA / PROTECT IP, which is also creatively named “Protect Intellectual Property Act,” once again in order to attract votes from the ignorant.

What they don’t tell you is that both of these bills are riddled with downright orwellian provisions for direct, dictatorial control of the internet by greedy and corrupt corporations through the government. They would do away with due process, probable cause, lawyers, and court hearings and trials, and just allow any corporation to block (censor) any website from Americans with a simple declaration that the site had “copied” even one item of it’s content from them without permission.

To put this in perspective for you, the bills are so worded that if a little 12 year old boy posts a video on Youtube of himself singing a song, the record company responsible for publishing that song could literally demand the blocking of YouTube from all Americans. If you think we’re exaggerating, consider this: Google (who owns YouTube) and Facebook, along with Amazon.com, Etsy, Tumblr, Twitter, and many, many other major internet companies have formed a massive coalition united under one cause: stopping these horrible bills from passing-and destroying them and our freedom in the process.

Now, at this point you’re probably thinking, “If everyone is so opposed to these bills, surely they won’t pass!”

And that’s where you’d be wrong. Our elected officials simply don’t care what you think. They’ve been bought out by lobbyists and brainwashed (blatantly lied to) by these lobbyists to believe that these bills are going to “save the American economy and create jobs!” while the stark reality is that they will do exactly the opposite.

The only thing we can count on is that if these bills pass, the one shining light in the otherwise dead American economy, Technology, will be strangled by a few greedy corporations manipulating government and the people for their private gain, power, and profit.

So what can you do to save the internet? Get involved. Now.

They are set to vote on SOPA on January 24th. Yes, this month.

We need to bombard our representatives, congressmen, and senators directly with a nonstop deluge of emails, phone calls, personal visits, tweets, and blog posts demanding and compelling them to stop these bills from ever passing.

Here are the twitter accounts of three of the most influential Senate leaders who are backing these horrible bills and planning to destroy your freedom. Tweet the heck out of them. Be civil, and be very convincing.

Senator Harry Reid: @senatorreid

Senator Chuck Schumer: @chuckschumer

Senator Mitch McConnell: @mcconnellpress

Also see demandprogress.com, where you can sign up for the mailing list and be notified of petitions you can sign, and things you can do to help stop horrible bills like this from passing.