HackingAnonymous threatens Internet blackout over controversial legislation
The hacker group Anonymous has vowed to blackout the Internet if U.S. lawmakers pass the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act; under the bill, government powers would be greatly expanded, enabling the Justice Department working at the behest of individual copyright holders to shut down Web sites for potential copyright violations
Anonymous threatens an internet blackout // Source: tsantiri.gr
The hacker group Anonymous has vowed to blackout the Internet if U.S. lawmakers pass the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).
Under the bill, government powers would be greatly expanded, enabling the Justice Department working at the behest of individual copyright holders to shut down websites for potential copyright violations.
Critics including Google, Facebook, eBay, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Human Rights Watch contend that the bill infringes on the free and fair use of the Internet and could hamper innovation and business.
As the bill makes its way through the House of Representatives, Anonymous has become increasingly militant in its opposition to the legislation.
On Wednesday the group announced “Operation Blackout,” a plan urging opponents of the bill to “replace the front page of every website we can with a simple, clear protest page.”
“Let’s replace the face of the internet with a clear message about how we feel about censorship. Replace the front page of every web site we can with a simple, clear protest page,” the group said in a statement.
“Encourage friends, businesses, organizations, social media to take a stand alongside us in the same way. Get this image and message everywhere online. Plant the seeds of dissent wherever they can grow.”
Anonymous argued that the bill endangers the Internet by “[allowing] the Federal Government of the United States to shut down, arrest, fine and prosecute any website and it’s operator(s) at the behest of corporations who can and do stand to profit from weaponized censorship.”
“The goal of the so-called ‘Stop Online Piracy Act’ SOPA is to empower litigious U.S. corporations to police the internet, with the ability to act as judge, jury and executioner. SOPA tramples civil rights laws, fair use, freedom of press and freedom of speech,” the statement continued.
The group has already targeted Representative Lamar Smith (R – Texas), SOPA’s sponsor, releasing personal information including his home address and telephone number.
In defense of the bill, Smith wrotein the National Review, “Claims that the Stop Online Piracy Act will censor legal activity on the Internet are blatantly false. Enforcing the law against criminals is not censorship.”
Contrarily, last week, a group of eighty-three high profile Internet engineers including Vint Cerf of Google and domain name system software author Paul Vixie senta letter to the House Judiciary Committee urging them not to pass SOPA.
“If enacted, either of these bills will create an environment of tremendous fear and uncertainty for technological innovation, and seriously harm the credibility of the United States in its role as a steward of key Internet infrastructure,” the engineers wrote.
The bill is currently being considered House Judiciary Committee and a vote is not likely until the new year.
