Why Travelers Should Worry About SOPA

on 1-15-2012 in Around The World

UPDATE: SOPA has been tabled, but it’s evil twin PIPA is still going to vote next week. We’re HALF WAY THERE! We can stop this thing!

If you’ve ever traveled to a country that censors the internet, then you know the very real effect that it has on free speech.

SOPA doesn’t just impact Americans, it impacts all internet users around the globe who rely on US-based IP addresses and VPNs to access the internet. This includes journalists, activists, volunteer groups, educators and travelers (that’s you).

On January 24th it goes to vote in Congress. Take a moment to have your voice heard: http://americancensorship.org/

Update: If you’re a blogger and you want to add the STOP SOPA ribbon (see the right hand corner of my site) to your blog, the plugin is here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/stop-sopa-ribbon (it links to the American Censorship site). Also there is a planned blackout on Jan 18th lead by Reddit. Plugin here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sopa-blackout/ (Thanks to A King’s Life for the link).

Unfamiliar with SOPA? Read this (click for larger view):

35 Comments

  1. “The same censorship method used by China, Iran and Syria.” RT @almostfearless Why Travelers Should Worry About SOPA: http://t.co/jbGWNLpM

  2. Thanks for bringing this up Christine. This issue scares me.

  3. Send a letter to your congressman–I just did: Why Travelers Should Worry About SOPA: http://t.co/PzMfmGYW via @almostfearless

  4. Why Travelers Should Worry About SOPA: If you’ve ever traveled to a country that censors the internet, then you … http://t.co/nYUjqj3F

  5. Travellers/Travelers, meh . . . stop SOPA now! RT @almostfearless Why Travelers Should Worry About SOPA: http://t.co/3PuenX7d

  6. Such scary stuff really! Thank you for posting this, maybe more people will see what is going on and we can make a change! Giving the government any more power then they already have is just crazy! And who do we think we are policing the Internet??! Ughh…

  7. Why Travelers Should Worry About SOPA http://t.co/9He8nlTw #SOPA

  8. If this passes, it more than likely will have a huge impact on our business, since we sell a product that the FDA doesn’t know what to do with.
    Great visual Christine, The downward spiral of demise is getting more intense and fast.

    Glad you posted this.

  9. Why Travelers Should Worry About SOPA http://t.co/JlezafmW #internet #travel #ban

  10. Why Travelers Should Worry About SOPA (same censorship method used by China) via @almostfearless: http://t.co/qa22P4Gv

  11. Why Travelers Should Worry About SOPA (same censorship method used by China) via @almostfearless: http://t.co/qa22P4Gv

  12. Just read on Bloomberg and hope it’s true that legislation that supports censorship won’t be supported. Let’s hope it’s true. Safe and free travels everyone.

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-14/white-house-won-t-support-internet-censorship-in-online-anti-piracy-bills.html

  13. Why Travelers Should Worry About SOPA http://t.co/4Hlyeb6Z #internet #travel #ban | RT @rlalita

  14. Stop #SOPA. Protect Internet Freedom! http://t.co/ft9nwJST @almostfearless

  15. thanks for sharing this. I had no idea. will pass on!

  16. SOPA is absurd. It is more likely that many people will greatly disapprove with this. The government is condemning our right to freedom if they execute this, isn’t it?

    Thank you for enlightening me.

    -Lea Dee

  17. It’s about time that someone opposes about it. I hope this won’t take its precedence.

    Thanks for sharing.

    -Lea Dee

  18. I plan to participate. This is truly a scary proposition.
    The Internet is one of the last forms of free speech available to us and to get that taken away would be a nightmare.

  19. I think this SOPA thing is going to move the US dominance over the internet gradually from the US to more liberal countries in Europe.

  20. Supposedly PIPA is going to be postponed until February according to MSNBC, but this is not official yet.

  21. So important to share this! Thanks for putting it together

  22. Ugh come on America. Stop being such a dick. Yours truely – the rest of the world

  23. Thanks for spelling it out for us. Adding the banner to our site right now.