SOPA/PIPA The end of the internet as we know it.

Ok, so the title may have been marginaly overdone, but I honestly believe that if SOPA or PIPA were to be passed it would mean massive changes to the ineternet and most (if not all) of them will be bad.

Instead of telling you how SOPA and PIPA are bad, I'm going to give you a tour through what my day might be like if SOPA or PIPA were to pass.

I like to start off my day (like many people) by checking my email, so I open my browser and tap the bookmark for my gmail account.  I read through my email and decide to check on twitter.  When I navigate to http://twitter.com I see something like this

Well damn, I guess I'll just head over to facebook.

Well, thats unfortunate but no worries I liked Google+ better.

What in the world is going on, I think I need to search for some news, better go to google.com

Yahoo?

Bing?

Hmm, maybe this is a temperary problem I guess I could just buy some of the stuff I need, amazon.com

Well... thats interesting...  I guess I'll just go watch TV or something.

While it may be that I'm slightly exagerating the situation, this is what will happen.  Any website that provides or even links to illegal copywritten materials will be shutdown, this could include Google and Facebook.  To further add insult to injury there is no defined procedure for who gets to decide what is offending and what isn't.  It is likely that private companies will be able to submit a trivial request to a new government agency which will blindly comply with the request and terminate the website.  For those of you who are outside of the country and don't think this matters to you, guess what it does.  The bill allows for the termination of websites through modifacation of the root DNS servers, which means that for any .com/org/net website can be shutdown by the US Government could at the request of a US company.

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE FIRST AMENDMENT!?!?!?!

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Uh, violation much.  Oh and don't forget about the Fifth Amendment.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Is it just me or does SOPA seem to deprive companies of their private property?  And maybe the 6th Amendment?

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Nope, sorry if you anger the RIAA or MPAA you dont get the right to a trial, just the right to have your website shut down.

Ok, I'm going to stop ranting now, but I refuse to get off of my soap box.  SOPA and PIPA are the end of the internet as we know it, and a further distruction of our civil liberties.

If you use Facebook, Twitter, Google, Bing, Yahoo, Amazon, Youtube or any part of the internet I implore you to understand what SOPA really is and tell your congressmen that it is unacceptable to vote for.

I also beg you to go to the EFF's page, enter your zip code.  They will tell you who your representatives are and give you the information so that you can contact them and voice your concern.

References:

SOPA Bill Text - Library of Congress