SOPA and PIPA bills have been shelved, marking the largest and most successful protest in history. This victory marks an empowering example of the power of the internet, the influence of bloggers, and the power of freedom of speech.
Protest numbers according to http://sopastrike.com:
- Over 10,000,000 signatures
- Over 3,000,000 emails sent
- Over 115,000,000 sites participated in the blackout strike of January 18th
- Over 2.2 million #SOPA awareness tweets on Twitter
- Over 400 thousand #PIPA awareness tweets on Twitter
- Over 340,000 tweets supporting SOPA blackout and especially Wikipedia’s stop SOPA campaign
Wikipedia's "Stop SOPA" campaign - Saying no to internet censorship
While SOPA and PIPA have been shelved, the threat of internet censorship still exists:
Chairman Lamar’s statement to the press in response to January 18th’s Internet Blackout:
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) had hoped to push his Stop Online Piracy Act [SOPA] through the committee next month. But in the wake of growing opposition triggered by Wednesday’s Internet blackout, Smith said the committee “will postpone consideration of the legislation until there is wider agreement on a solution.”
“I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy,” Smith said. “It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products.” – excerpt from LA Times
OWBA encourages bloggers worldwide to remain adamant with their support for Internet Freedom.
- Stay informed – join OWBA & Sopastrike mailing lists for the latest Internet Freedom awareness opportunities.
- Blog it! Voice your opinion on internet censorship and internet freedom.
- Email your congressman and senator for your state at USA.gov.
- Spread the word! Tweet, Facebook and YouTube your stand on Internet Freedom.
Bloggers unite! It’s never too late or too soon to show your support and advocate Internet Freedom.
[...] Traveler supports Internet Freedom and says no to Internet Censorship. Proud members of OWBA, One World Bloggers Association and advocates of Internet Freedom – freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of [...]