How would you feel if you logged onto your Facebook account only to either find censored material sprawling around the page or not being able to log in to begin with because the website had been completely censored? This is what a new bill recently introduced to the United States House of Representatives could do.
On October 26, 2011 the Online Piracy Act (SOPA) also known as H.R.3261 or Protect IP was introduced to the U.S, House of Representatives. This bill would give power to the government, more specifically to the U.S. Department of Justice and copyright holders to put down any website with copyright material. This would include anything from a search engine like Google, to a social network like Facebook or Twitter. Any website with copyright material would be censored and an individual posting copyright material could be sentenced up to five years in prison.
But how much would this bill really help against piracy and copyright infringements? In contrary to SOPA’s intention to stop piracy, people believe this bill will do nothing against piracy and will only cause downloaders to find other alternatives such as entering and IP address to any desired website. But the concerns towards this bill are mostly coming from common individuals who wish to continue to have the internet as an everyday source of entertainment, expression, and communication.
To present day this bill is yet to be passed and it is still unsure whether it will be taken to full measures or only partly. With the huge opposition against SOPA many people think it will not be passed, while others still fear a slim possibly that could possibly bring a drastic change to the everyday lives of Americans.
Article By: Raquel Galvan
