The Computer Professionals' Union (CPU) expresses strong opposition to the "Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)" and "PROTECT IP Act" being pushed in the United States Congress. We join our fellow computer professionals, free and open source advocates and developers, and human rights defenders all over the world in standing up against these proposed blacklist bills.
The proposed blacklist bills will have "chilling" impacts to human rights groups, bloggers, advocacy groups and all content creators in the web. Any website can be shut down with accusations of infringement without real due process. Advocacy groups directly engaging big companies and governments through online campaigns can be harassed using said dangerous provisions. SOPA and PIPA attack free speech and expression.
The proposed blacklist bills grant censorship powers to governments and big companies. Search engine query results can be filtered to exclude particular websites - censoring web content available to users. These bills can also block access to websites of advocacy groups.
The proposed blacklist bills will also force service providers to monitor their users which violates users' right to privacy.
Internet is now a major source of free information. It is unfortunate that while the United Nations has declared internet access as a basic human right; censoring content due to SOPA and PIPA will reverse this triumph
Right to internet access is not compatible with SOPA and PIPA. These blacklist legislations should be junked.
Reference:
18 January 2012
Rick Bahague, 4401430
National Coordinator, CPU
Image taken from EFF.ORG