You may have noticed that my blog was inaccessible all day yesterday. I joined the internet-wide movement to protest SOPA/PIPA, two bills currently being considered in Congress. Other major companies such as Wikipedia and Reddit were a part of the blackout. While I haven’t personally read the text of the bill, WSJ gives an apt description here:

The most controversial provision is in the House bill, which would have enabled federal authorities to “blacklist” sites that are alleged to distribute pirated content. That would essentially cut off portions of the Internet to all U.S. users.

I am a sincere believer in the free market, and free market solutions. One of the big arguments against the bill is that American media companies “can’t compete with free.” However, I believe that the market will find a way for those media companies to continue to produce their content and still turn a profit without resorting to crony capitalism. I don’t think government censorship of portions of the internet is the right solution.

There are many companies against SOPA, such as Google, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia. President Obama is even opposed. To add your voice to the discussion, contact your representatives in Congress today.

Current Events, Politics

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