The fall of SOPA was, by far, one of the most interesting events of 2012. It showed that the Internet can and will be an unstoppable force when faced with a threat that targets its very core. Now let’s relive…
The Free Internet Survived 2012, But Will It Be That Lucky Next Year?
2012 was a dangerous year for the free Internet. Lawmakers and global stakeholders all took a shot at policing and regulating the Internet over the past year to no avail. That doesn’t mean they’ve given up, and 2013 could prove…
SOPA Returns As A Poorly Executed Extortion Virus
Remember SOPA? The Internet really dodged a bullet there when the largest Web protest ever killed the bill. There have been rumors that it would be back, despite MPAA CEO Chris Dodd denying any such thing. Well, Dodd was wrong…
SOPA And PIPA Are Not Coming Back
SOPA and PIPA were a major threat to the Internet. Only those in the entertainment industry denied the claim as they pushed for stricter control of the Internet. The two bills eventually spurred the single largest Internet protest as countless…
Reddit Launches Bus Tour to “Promote the Open Internet”
Emboldened by the part it played in combating the SOPA legislation earlier this year with an “internet blackout,” Reddit has officially announced that it is taking to the road with a bus tour in support of the open internet. In…
Former MPAA CTO Changes His Mind On SOPA
SOPA is dead, and it’s probably not coming back. The MPAA now realizes that a bill like that just isn’t going to fly. They need to be sneakier and use methods that bypass public scrutiny – like TPP. That being…
CISPA Might Not Be So Bad After All
What I’m about to say may shock you. So if you’re a sensitive user of the Internet, you may want to go back to Reddit and look at funny pictures to soothe your soul. Here it goes: I don’t think…
A Handy CISPA Infographic Clarifies The Issues
Does the fact that companies like Facebook, Microsoft, IBM, and Intel mean that CISPA is the friendly, less intrusive version of SOPA or are these companies supporting the bill for reasons not related to intellectual property? Actually, in regards to…
ACTA and The United States Government
While the buzz surrounding the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), something of a global cousin to the SOPA/PIPA movement, may have died down, the issue itself is far from over. In Europe, the agreement is awaiting full ratification, and has faced…
Corporations Supporting CISPA Include Facebook, Microsoft
Is this how unwanted Internet regulation passes? When enough popular web-based/tech corporations support a bill that’s potentially as damaging as SOPA, causing their legion of followers to accept the inevitable? If so, there’s a really good chance the backlash SOPA…
Saving the Internet From the United States?
Earlier this year, when discussing her son, Richard O’Dwyer, and his upcoming extradition to the United States, Julia O’Dwyer blasted the country’s attempt to take control of the Internet in name of “stopping piracy” or whatever other reason they hide…
SOPA Gets a New Name, Still Terrible
So long, SOPA. It’s been real, and it’s been fun, but it hasn’t been really fun. It’s time to celebrate because SOPA’s dead, right? But wait, what’s this CISPA thing RT.com is talking about? Well, if your answer includes something…
White House Still Opposes SOPA, PIPA
The White House appears to mean what it said in March when it told supporters that it’s not ignoring the We the People petitions. As if to affirm that pledge, the Obama Administration restated in the 2011 Annual Report on…
ACTA Referred To European Court of Justice
Is the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement treaty, otherwise known as ACTA, compatible with what is referred to as the EU’s “fundamental rights and freedoms?” Some EU officials are asking that very question, and to help determine the answer, EU trade chief…
The Anti-SOPA System Administrator’s Todo List
Todo lists are a great way to plan ahead for the day’s events. It gives an idea of how to divvy up your time. What, however, would such a list look like for a systems administrator who is firmly against…
Anonymous Continues Anti-ACTA Attack On U.S. Government
At some point, there’s going to be a massive, mainstream media-friendly bust where a bunch of 20-somethings are led away for the world to see, with FBI officials holding press conferences claiming the scourge of the Anonymous hacker group has…
Bulgaria Joins the No ACTA Crowd
Did this past weekend’s anti-ACTA movement in Europe get their message across to the ruling governments? While the fallout is still being measured, at least one country has decided to say “no” to the treaty, putting them with the small,…
CIA.gov Not Available, Anonymous Takes Credit [Updated]
Update: CNN is reporting that sites affiliated with Mexico’s mining ministry and the state of Alabama were also taken down. They’re also reporting that the CIA’s site was back up by this morning, but cia.gov is currently down from where…
Study: Piracy Does Not Harm U.S. Box Office Sales
Despite the claims of the MPAA and other supporters of SOPA and PIPA, file-sharing does not negatively impact box office sales in the U.S., according to a new study conducted by economists from Wellesley College and the University of Minnesota.…