In a desperate measure to regulate illegal activities among the web, congressman Lamar Smith introduced the Stop Online Piracy Act.
SOPA supporters claim this bill mainly targeted foreign web sites, but everyone across the nation would have been affected by it.
With SOPA active, the government would have the right to demand our Internet providers to block websites for copyright infringement.
SOPA would also have been a major threat to popular sites like YouTube, Wikipedia, Tumblr, Reddit among many others.
In protest against this law, these sites shut down their pages for 24 hours on Jan. 18.
It is not a mystery that ever since the internet was invented, all types of corporations have been trying to figure out how to make a bigger profit off the Internet. Search engines help us connect easy, linking us from site to site until the work is done.
Major businesses are suffering by this benefit we have, but what these industries don’t understand is that this medium isn’t necessarily built for profitable purposes.
Instead, it’s a place where we can gather information and share our knowledge among society.
The lack of regulation makes the Internet a vulnerable place for illicit purposes, but the narcissistic idea of completely having control over the Internet and having the right to invade your privacy it’s just morally wrong.
SOPA’s absurdity didn’t allow the bill to debated by the senate. In fact, the overall concept of regulating the Internet from thieves and illicit activities is acceptable.
Though the way Smith is approaching the issue seems cruel to our society.
We are so used to accessing any information or answering any questions we might encounter that banning these sources will definitely impact us negatively.
With the government’s involvement, the Internet would be like a cable television subscription.
You would only be able to access information that the government has previously regulated for you.
Freedom to look, read or even learn about your interests would have been out the window.
Surfing the net without being afraid of being prosecuted should have been something in the past by now.
A constant battle to intellectually progress, or to even have access to certain things would have been the case.
Restrictions to creativity and self-initiation would have marked our history.
Hopefully congress doesn’t ever rush into other absurd bills under the pressure of the issue, it’s best to not do anything at all, if the situation only will worsen by their solution.
