SOPA, you, and the internet shut down

[vonuber]

So I've been reading this today - http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/01/05/rps-ask... - which although focussing mainly games developers, raises good points about the internet as a whole.
In short, SOPA if it passes in America could potentially shut off most of the sites we use based on suspicion alone as it aims to stop online ad networks and payment processors from doing business with foreign websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement. It could also stop search engines from linking to the allegedly infringing sites. Domain name registrars could be forced to take down the websites, and internet service providers forced to block access to the sites accused of infringing.
To better explain it and how it might affect you, see this:

http://technorati.com/blogging/article/will-facebo...

In particular, note that discussions on an internet turn off are underway. Who would this affect? Well, from the linked article:

members of netCoalition include search sites such as Google, AOL and Yahoo!, social network powerhouses Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Foursquare, online shopping stalwarts PayPal, Amazon and eBay, and Firefox founder Mozilla. Web founders of netCoalition include founders or CEOs of Netscape, Flickr and The Huffington Post.

I am surprised this has not had more coverage.

[AndyACB]

I think they exempted .com .net and .gov sites but they will be able to shutdown and other domain if the bill passes.

I listen to an American talk show that's tech related called The Tech Guy and he spent a good part of one of last weeks shows explaining just how bad things could get if this bill gets passed.

[roachcoach]

Should be ok, silicon valley can buy more senators than Hollywood.

Though make no mistake, this is only the beginning.

[Jasandjules]

It's amazing how in the land of the free they seek to constrain freedom of speech the way China does!

[roachcoach]

Jasandjules said:

It's amazing how in the land of the free they seek to constrain freedom of speech the way China does!

We are at it too, newzbin got the same treatment at the paedo sites.

[dundarach]

As someone who might know a friend that likes warez and porn...

I do wonder however whether we might need a bit of control?

[roachcoach]

dundarach said:

As someone who might know a friend that likes warez and porn...

I do wonder however whether we might need a bit of control?

I do not trust business to decide what is allowed online. Warner already admitted in court they fired takedown notices for content it didn't even own. Let's not forget the frivolous and incorrect domain seizures which lasted for over a year.

Furthermore I think it is fundamentally wrong to abuse geographic convenience of the dns/payment processors.


I don't need some fat, sweaty exec deciding what I can do in my country based on what is illegal in his.

[dundarach]

Well put...

But are we going too far with it all?

I mean Inprivate browsing - it just invites a shuffle or is that me

[Mojooo]

vonuber said:

In short, SOPA if it passes in America could potentially shut off most of the sites we use based on suspicion alone

Probably because trying to shut them down by prosecution will involve the laws of many countries and be very difficult and take forever. Suspicion alone is often enough in many cases.

Take this exmaple - http://www.buyuggsclassiconline.com/

First page of Google results, obviously fake but a believeable site that will no doubt fool many.

---

Spain are doing soemthing similar

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16391727

[Halb]

roachcoach said:

We are at it too, newzbin got the same treatment at the paedo sites.

Glad to know it wasn't that successful
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newzbin

[roachcoach]

If I had to guess, I'd say all it will do is see massive decentralisation and heavy duty crypto spread like wildfire.

[roachcoach]

Halb said:

roachcoach said:

We are at it too, newzbin got the same treatment at the paedo sites.

Glad to know it wasn't that successful
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newzbin

It never would be, but up until then, the cleanfeed status quo was (mainly) respected. Not any more and THAT is where the problem is, it's put a meaningful & useful venture firmly in the sights of a LOT of talented black hats. All because an industry bought and paid for a law.

They broke the trust, all bets are off.

[Mojooo]

lol, according to wikipedia NB made a profit of over 360k. We all know what NB is about and the fact that he denied it is comical. He is lucky the cops didnt prosecute him!

[vonuber]

I wonder if this bill goes through, whether a lot of US companys will offshore their servers? Or re-register as offshore companies?

[roachcoach]

Here's an interesting piece I caught this morning.

US: Do as the industry wants or you might face trade penalties:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/ho...


edit: typo/wrong word

Edited by roachcoach on Friday 6th January 08:44

[Halb]

Amused at an old English terrorist/anarchist being used to torment politicians at the Spanish movie awards.

"The dogs put up a good fight, though. As the BBC noted, "Last year hacktivist group Anonymous organised a protest at the Goya Awards—Spain's equivalent of the Oscars—which saw several hundred people in Guy Fawkes masks booing the minister of culture while applauding Alex de la Iglesia, then-president of the Spanish Film Academy. The movie director had previously voiced opposition to the Sinde law on Twitter and later resigned over the issue."

[hornet]

roachcoach said:

If I had to guess, I'd say all it will do is see massive decentralisation and heavy duty crypto spread like wildfire.

This is the silly thing. Controlling the internet is like squeezing a balloon full of water - put pressure on one end and it just pops up somewhere else. I don't lurk in especially murky corners of the web, yet even I know all about Tor and assorted F2F and darknet stuff, so I'm sure the properly sinister types are already out there sat on their own private darknet.

[DJRC]

Its not hard.

Still this was always going to happen, too much money in play for the web to have remained the Wild West that it was back in the glory days before the turn of the Century

[vonuber]

roachcoach said:

Here's an interesting piece I caught this morning.

US: Do as the industry wants or you might face trade penalties:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/ho...


edit: typo/wrong word

Edited by roachcoach on Friday 6th January 08:44

that's actually quite disturbing. i wonder what pressure has been puit on the UK? The Digiatal Rights Act thing comes to mind.

[Odie]

Did you guys hear about SOPA - GoDaddy - Anonymous?

GoDaddy support SOPA so Anonymous organised a operation to boycott (as they do)

iirc GoDaddy lost 35000 subscribers in a day, and some big name sites (wikipedia to name one) pledge to change to another provider when they could.

GoDaddy then submitted a retraction saying that they didnt support SOPA.

GoDaddy do still support SOPA and are trying not to lose more custom..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16320149