Death knell of the Internet?

2011-11-30

Richard Moore

Bcc: FYI
rkm websitehttp://cyberjournal.org
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Under the new law, the US could force Internet providers to block any website on suspicion of violating copyright or trademark legislation, or even failing to sufficiently police their users’ activities.


This would include YouTube, most blogs, and of course newslog.

rkm
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Update: 29 November 2011
The vote could happen at any time now,  but free speech champions in Congress say our outcry will help, and one of them – Senator Wyden –  is even going to block the vote by reading out our petition names for hours! Let’s reach 1 million!

Posted: 15 November 2011
Right now, the US Congress is debating a law that would give them the power to censor the world’s Internet — creating a blacklist that could target YouTube, WikiLeaks and even groups like Avaaz! 

Under the new law, the US could force Internet providers to block any website on suspicion of violating copyright or trademark legislation, or even failing to sufficiently police their users’ activities. And, because so much of the Internet’s hosts and hardware are located in the US, their blacklist would clamp down on the free web for all of us. 

The vote could happen any day now, but we can help stop this — champions in Congress want to preserve free speech and tell us that an international outcry would strengthen their hand. Let’s urgently raise our voices from every corner of the world and build an unprecedented global petition calling on US decision makers to reject the bill and stop Internet censorship. Sign now and then forward as widely as possible — our message will be delivered directly to key members of the US Congress ahead of the crucial vote.