While major corporations and other groups have lent their support, specifically the Motion Pictures Association of America, SOPA has come under criticism from all over the Web for the implications it could have on the future of the Internet and Information sharing as they know it. The Stop Online Privacy Act or SOPA could squash sites across the globe for sharing material protected otherwise under copyright laws, which while established with good intentions, could carry hefty penalties and fines for people that wish to stream music or watch footage as innocent as home recordings of video gameplay.
The google has previously attacked the proposed legislation, it says that it would be a big blow to freedom of speech and freedom of press guarantees under the United States Constitution. The ACLU stated that the passing of the act would establish a Great Firewall of America on par with the restrictions in play in China and wrote in a letter earlier, by instituting the practice in the United States, SOPA sends an unequivocal message to other nations that it is acceptable to censor speech on the global Internet.
Google does not want to directly stop free speech on the Internet. They just want to make it near impossible for sites to operate. To everyone online, electronic Frontier Foundation legal activist Trevor Timm tells Forbes that the implications an addendum including this is the SOPA or Stop Online Piracy Act proposal could be detrimental. Timm stated leaves up-and-comi8ng start ups in a difficult position if they do not have a lawyer to deal with this and gives big companies a huge advantage.
Even a blockade that keeps contribution through Visa, Mastercard and Discover accounts from coming through has managed to make operation difficult, although not impossible for WikiLeaks. In 2010, Julian Assange’s site managed to pull in around $2 million in charitable donations and a computer glitch this summer allowed for Visa users to submit contributions for only a few hours, during which the site raked in upwards of $100,000. Oyamja argues against current legislation that has been proposed and noted that under SOPA, some people would think twice about establishing business in the first place, with a new proposal possibly putting a choke hold on revenues, some people might not think at all about new online ventures. The Stop Online Piracy Act is a bill that was introduced in the United States House of Representatives last year October 26, 2011. The bill provides immunity from liability to the advertisement and payment networks that comply with the Act that take voluntary action to cut ties to such sites.
