This harmful legislation, called the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate, will be voted on as early as January 24th in the Senate. If you live in the US, there's still time to help stop these bills from becoming law.
Consider reaching out to your Senator or House member by phone. You can say the following:
"I am writing to you as a voter in your district. I urge you to vote "no" on cloture for S. 968, the PROTECT IP Act, on Jan. 24th. The PROTECT IP Act is dangerous, ineffective, and short-sighted. It does not deserve floor consideration.
I urge my representative to vote "no" on SOPA, the corresponding House bill.
Over coming days you'll be hearing from the many businesses, advocacy organizations, and ordinary Americans who oppose this legislation because of the myriad ways in which it will stifle free speech and innovation.
We hope you'll take our concerns to heart and oppose this legislation by voting "no" on cloture."What makes this legislation so bad? Here's how it would change the Web:
- Communication platforms – from YouTube to Facebook to Amazon – could be shut down if a single rights holder alleges a violation.
- It would make the Web less stable and less secure.
- Social networking sites, like Twitter or Facebook, could be forced to track and control user behavior, stunting innovation and undermining free expression.
- Your Internet provider could be required to inspect all of your traffic and browsing.
Otherwise, pick up the phone, cally your representative and ask them to vote "No" in the Senate on S.968 and on SOPA in the House.