[Kaspa]

Got tired after all this SOPA/ACTA fiasco? Yet again, the freedom of internet is at hand.

Basically, you all remember the whole PIPA/SOPA fiasco from a few months ago. Well, we knew they'd be back once the initial furor died down. Behold, CISPA, the 100x worse bill.

In effect, what CISPA is trying to do is take the new Arizona Internet Censorship law and taking it to unheard of heights. The way the law is written gives the government the right to censor, basically, anything and everything on the internet that it deems is "disruptive or offensive" to government or business.

-You want to use Facebook or Twitter to organize an otherwise legal protest? Well, it's inherently disruptive, therefore can be censored.
-You and a partner want to create a business that competes with another business, maybe one that has strong government ties? Well, that's disruptive, so therefore censored.
-The government will have the authority to access, read, and preemptively censor, WITHOUT ANY DUE PROCESS OR OVERSIGHT, basically anything you write, if it wants to. Emails, social media, hell, MMO-Champion forums.
-It does not matter if the intent of the law is this, or even if the law stands up to the unquestionable challenges it will face. The fact of the matter is Congress is even considering this bill, let alone having written it.

This is not a joke. This is not some make-believe fairy tale that doesn't affect you. A law like this, if it became the law of the land, affects each and every single one of us in today's society. You can do two things: ignore it and hope it doesn't bother you (the head in the sand technique), or you can spread the word far and wide to everyone and anyone, and pester them to write letter after letter after letter to their lawmakers expressing that we do not want censorship of any kind. You need to write to your lawmakers, 10 letters a day if you have to, until you get a response. Make a meeting with them as is your right as a citizen and force them to explain why the government should be able to read and censor your emails discussing your dissatisfaction with the tax code, or how you can make a better software company than Microsoft.

We need to stop being ignorant. Instead of worrying about Kim Kardashian's cup size or how Tim Tebow got screwed, we need to start taking control of our government before it reaches the point of no return (assuming it already hasn't [read Citizens United case, a whole other topic]).



Wake up, people! We each *CAN* make a difference, by doing something. Do not be sheep!

[Adriana]

We need to stop being ignorant. Instead of worrying about Kim Kardashian's cup size or how Tim Tebow got screwed, we need to start taking control of our government before it reaches the point of no return (assuming it already hasn't [read Citizens United case, a whole other topic]).

Instead of worrying about your beloved torrents, you need to start taking in interest in the real problems in this world that reach past your upload rate.

Seriously, of all the things that are wrong in this world, the American youth (yes, my own afwul generation) chooses THIS to act on? That is sickening.

[ii V I]

I'm really indifferent towards the passing of this law.
If it does not get passed, well so ok, perpetuation of the status quo... but I'm not really that attached to the way our government is "run", although I should say bought.

I think if this law gets passed it could be the cold splash of water everyone needs...
Once you start messing with people's facebooks... sad but true...
Sometimes to wake up on a mass scale, you have to sail through some uncomfortable moments.
Either way, I'm not too worried...

[Vatar]

Haven't the legislatures figured it out yet? We want you to leave our damned internet ALONE!

[krentz]

Instead of worrying about your beloved torrents, you need to start taking in interest in the real problems in this world that reach past your upload rate.

Seriously, of all the things that are wrong in this world, the American youth (yes, my own afwul generation) chooses THIS to act on? That is sickening.

I'm not sure if you're trolling or just missing the point. Acts like these serve as a metaphor for everything that's wrong in the wider world. It's not just about illegal activities but about civil rights. The desire of central government to so comprehensively monitor its citizenry and inhibit its freedom is symptomatic of the 'will-to-power' mentality that is the cause of most major problems in the world today, including the uneven distribution of wealth and even one might argue the individualist mentality which is diminishing our sense of community - ironic considering that we are more globalised and interconnected than we have ever been.

After having read the bill itself, I find the ambiguous terminology to be somewhat unsettling. While I have minimal knowledge of law, due to the use and definitions of the ridiculous 'cybersecurity' terms it seems to be basically implying that anything you do on any electronic system may be subject to monitoring and have that information traded freely within government and private sector agencies due to suspected threats "and other purposes" which are funnily enough not specified. So essentially that means emails, texts, VoIP calls, visits to any website, whatever. I don't care if my objection to the bill sickens you, it's positively Orwellian.

[redballoon]

How can you not be worried about the freedom of the internet? They could censor THIS site if they wanted.
Its a question of privacy. Its a question of rights. Let's stop innovation, sure. That sounds good to me. Let's trust in the GOVERNMENT because obviously these backwards hicks and the masters that run them can run our lives better than we can! How can you look past all those issues @Adriana, and assume its just about torrenting?

Get shit on, you'll get shit on again. And again. And again. This is not a time for silence.

[summer solstice]

Seriously, of all the things that are wrong in this world, the American youth (yes, my own afwul generation) chooses THIS to act on? That is sickening.

I understand your repulsion for the amount of attention it gets compared to other worldly issues, but I don't think that's reason enough to go on a little rant by making generalizations about it. I could say something similar about us Dutch people, don't you think it is sickening we haven't had much of a revolt against the PVV's hotline on nuisance caused by East Europeans? Why haven't we started any action to get the Dutch people to demand a sacking of the current government, which is just theater?

I think if this law gets passed it could be the cold splash of water everyone needs...
Once you start messing with people's facebooks... sad but true...
Sometimes to wake up on a mass scale, you have to sail through some uncomfortable moments.
Either way, I'm not too worried...

I'm not sure how to interpret your words. You mean to say the passing of this bill could be the wake up call that people need? Wouldn't it then be too late to turn it back?

Acts like these serve as a metaphor for everything that's wrong in the wider world. [...] I don't care if my objection to the bill sickens you, it's positively Orwellian.

Nah, I don't think this act serves as a symbol for everything that's wrong in the world. The bill isn't a symbol for let's say the skewed distribution of wealth over the world, I can see how @Adriana is repulsed by the amount of public attention this bill gets compared to the attention the wealth issue gets.

Nonetheless, I do feel that the topic that this bill is covering (civil rights) is a universal topic. And yes, even though I'm not a believer of the Anglo-Saxon model, I think this bill gives the American government too much power to temper with the civil rights in a very bad way. As of such, I too have an Orwellian objection to it.

[gestalt]

Say hello to big brother everyone

*waves cheerfully*

[Listener]

I'm glad there is a lot of awareness of this issue, but I am concerned too much emphasis is placed on these specific laws, whether they pass or not. Power structures will always attempt to censor information that is a threat to it. Censorship has many forms, not always obvious, and takes place in all societies.

[Wanderlust94]

Although I think the taoist quote on government sums up my belief on government. (the best way to run the government is like cooking a fish. Prod at very little or it spoils.) or something like that, I also think it will solve itself. So I'm not too worried. I find the greatest satire is written under oppression and/or heavy censorship laws. Which is another point. Government always find ways to censor and people always find ways around out. Sometimes highly illegal and sometimes highly clever. Maybe both. Anyway everything balances in the end. Humans are tenacious. They will do what they will in the end. The creativity and symbolism in art often flourishes in art when the government censors. Usually it does anyway. I'm interested to see how this plays out. It'll probably die out quietly like the other proposed bills. Maybe the horror out of this is the fact that the rate of these is type of bills is growing and so are the proposed powers in the them. We abuse our freedoms sometimes and now the big boss man is trying to stop the minority that they think is the cause of the problem. Yet it's the majority that uses freedoms responsibly that retaliates in anger. People can be so funny.