One of the biggest things that I've taken for granted [and I'm sure a lot of people have] is how easily information is made available to us. One click through Google, and a lot of information is within our fingertips, all at the expense of a good internet connection.
However, just today, Google and Wikipedia have, in their own way, showed their hand with regards to two pending U.S. bills being proposed. The Stop Online Piracy Act, and the Protect Intelectual Property Act, are being pushed by the U.S. Senate with noble intents, to put things kindly, but would negatively impact the ease of access to information enjoyed by millions, if not billions around the world.
What are these two bills, anyway? Let's go one by one.
The Stop Online Piracy Act:
The Protect Intellectual Property Act:
It has the noblest of aims, which is to protect US Intellectual property from being stolen and being used for interests that would negatively impact the U.S. However, it encompasses more than that. Inevitably, these bills would heavily restrict the information made available to consumers [regular people]. If it aims for free speech and innovation, then it definitely is conflicted. You can read about the potential repercussions of the bills here.
This reminds me of how the Chinese government moderates the internet traffic, sites and usage of their users. Is Big Brother far behind?
Do take note that while these are United States bills, it would affect everyone, even those not on US soil, as the regulation pertains to the Internet itself. So, it would be best to be educated as early as now.
See Google and the Wikimedia foundation's response to these pieces of legislation:
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