Wikipedia Will Go Dark On January 18 To Protest SOPA And PIPA
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has defended the online encyclopedia’s decision to stage a global blackout in protest of SOPA and PIPA this week, arguing “US law, as it impacts the net, will have an effect on everybody.” Wales hopes the blackout – which {will|which can|which is able to} see the English-language version of Wikipedia replaced with an open letter encouraging US citizens to contact their Representatives and voice their issues with the Stop online Piracy Act and shield Intellectual Property Act – will prompt even those outside of the US to contact friends and family living there and encourage them to speak up on the proposed legislation, he told the Telegraph, as “a broad international message” concerning censorship.
“As for me, what i'm hoping is that folks outside the US who have friends or family who are voters in the US, can ask them to make a decision to their senator or representative,” Wales explained, “and I hope we have a tendency to send a broad international message that the net as an entire will not tolerate censorship in response to mere allegations of copyright infringement.”
Meanwhile, some of SOPA’s supporters are already reacting to the terribly public backlash against the bill. Ars Technica reports that Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX) would be pulling his DNS-blocking provisions from the bill when having consulted with “industry groups across the country.” What’s more, the White House has tried and true 2 petitions concerning SOPA and PIPA on the official White House blog stating that they're going to not “support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, will increase cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative international net.”