Save the Internet

Galen

Right now, the US Congress is debating a law that would give them the power to censor the world's internet -- creating a blacklist that could target YouTube, WikiLeaks and even groups like Avaaz!

Under the new law, the US could force internet providers to block any website on suspicion of violating copyright or trademark legislation, or even failing to sufficiently police their users' activities. And, because so much of the internet's hosts and hardware are located in the US, their blacklist would clamp down on the free web for all of us.

The vote could be in days but we can help stop this -- champions in Congress want to preserve free speech and tell us that an international outcry would strengthen their hand. Let’s urgently raise our voices from every corner of the world and build an unprecedented global petition calling on US decision makers to reject the bill and stop internet censorship. Sign the petition and then forward as widely as possible - our message will be delivered directly to key members of the US Congress ahead of the crucial vote.


http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_internet_d/?ciSZkcb

watty

So maybe we should have our hosting in that Bastion of Free speech, China.

They can only do it to US based stuff and US users. But it's so stupid an idea that I'm sceptical that it can get passed.

Kepti

watty wrote: »

So maybe we should have our hosting in that Bastion of Free speech, China.

What's the point of this dig at China?

They can only do it to US based stuff and US users.

Like the original post says, most of the internet is hosted in the US. Any sites censored there would presumably be censored for all countries.

But it's so stupid an idea that I'm sceptical that it can get passed.

The stupidity of an idea often has little bearing on whether it gets passed or not.

watty

It wasn't a dig at China. It was a dig at US.

Almost none of the content I read is hosted in US. A lot is hosted in US, but most? No, once that was true. But USA has been overtaken by the rest of the world.

I think you could argue it's ironic that the USA plans to be more draconian than China. Hence my comment.

Certainly I'm strongly against the proposal. But it's not the end of civilisation either.

Kepti

watty wrote: »

It wasn't a dig at China. It was a dig at US.

Almost none of the content I read is hosted in US. A lot is hosted in US, but most? No, once that was true. But USA has been overtaken by the rest of the world.

I think you could argue it's ironic that the USA plans to be more draconian than China. Hence my comment.

Certainly I'm strongly against the proposal. But it's not the end of civilisation either.

My apologies, I misinterpreted what you meant. I'm used to people throwing out some variant of "at least we're not as bad as China" in defence of the US every time more rights are eroded.

Most of the websites I visit are based in the US, so maybe my perspective is a bit skewed. I tried to find some information on the percentage of the world's websites hosted in the US, but I couldn't get a figure.

watty

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/20/sopa_breaks_dnssec/

Galen

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/11/the-sopa-act-continues-to-get-dirtier/

Dude111

Galen wrote:

Right now, the US Congress is debating a law that would give them the power to censor the world's internet

The US disgustingly thinks they can control the world and its sickening!