Congress declares war on the internet.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Dramatic thread title!



Many internet users in the United States have watched with horror as countries like France and Britain have proposed or instituted so-called “three strikes” laws (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/06/un-free-speech-watchdog-blasts-three-strikes-rules.ars), which cut off internet access to those accused of repeated acts of copyright infringement. Now the U.S. has its own version of this kind of law, and it is arguably much worse: the Stop Online Piracy Act, introduced in the House this week (http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20126165-281/copyright-bill-revives-internet-death-penalty/), would give governments and private corporations unprecedented powers to remove websites from the internet on the flimsiest of grounds, and would force internet service providers to play the role of copyright police.

http://gigaom.com/2011/10/27/looks-like-congress-has-declared-war-on-the-internet/

[Susurrus]

uuurrrrfgh. If nothing else, don't you people have more important things to be legislating on!?!?!

[Os Cangaceiros]

"It [copyright infringment] ain't no different than smashing a window at Tiffany's and grabbing [merchandise]." - Joe Biden, loyal friend of the RIAA and MPAA.

I'm sure that ol' Barry will have no problem signing it into law. He and his IP czar Victoria Espinel are big fans of copyright law.

[xub3rn00dlex]

Time for massive piracy riots if you ask me, download, download, and fucking download.

[Leonid Brozhnev]

I won't lie... the thread title made me laugh. Somehow reminded me a little on the South Park episode where the US Gov declared war on Heaven.


Many internet users in the United States have watched with horror as countries like France and Britain have proposed or instituted so-called “three strikes” laws, which cut off internet access to those accused of repeated acts of copyright infringement.

As far as I know, in the UK at least, this is a massive farce and highly inefficient. A lot of technologically illiterate people throwing around scary rhetoric about cutting people off but in reality doing very little since there is very little they can do. They tried blocking file-sharing sites but they can't since the legal can of worms it opens up is so fucking huge they'd drown in their own red tape... worms.


"It [copyright infringment] ain't no different than smashing a window at Tiffany's and grabbing [merchandise]." - Joe Biden, loyal friend of the RIAA and MPAA.

I'm sure that ol' Barry will have no problem signing it into law. He and his IP czar Victoria Espinel are big fans of copyright law.

http://3.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kpcvvy3eqK1qz4a62o1_500.jpg

[CommunityBeliever]

So much for internet access as a human right.

[X5N]

Yeah, this is crap.

And it will most likely pass, because of...

1) The RIAA and MPAA and other organizations lobbying for it.
2) The scarcity of anyone in Congress who cares about Internet privacy or at least even knows how to internet, because most people who care about those things don't participate in politics.

Hopefully the Internet declares war on Congress now. :D

[Tablo]

Lol, fuck them. I can spoof my MAC address and use any old public connection to download shit. Hell, my apartment complex has shared wifi so I guess we will all lose it. This law won't stop people who know what they are doing. I think the internet backlash will be pretty big.

[xub3rn00dlex]

Fuck Congress anyhow, you can tell me three strikes and I'm out but I'm still going to be fucking swinging.

[DeBon]

Fuck Congress. This is why we have the deep web.

[Zostrianos]

If they bring that here to Canada, I'll just start going to internet cafés to download stuff anonymously. No biggie :D

[Hexen]

More and more, I'm starting to realize that capitalism won't even allow free internet/freedom of speech/etc to exist. They want to return to the 20th century where they had complete control over the media which is the main aim here.

Free internet can only exist and survive in a post-revolutionary society.

[PC LOAD LETTER]

I love public wifi.

Or wifi that isn't supposed to be public, but I use it anyways.

[Hexen]

Here is some really important articles to read that is fitting for the topic in question:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1977819,00.asp

http://www.marxist.com/capitalism-internet-patents130306.htm

[Os Cangaceiros]

I love public wifi.

Or wifi that isn't supposed to be public, but I use it anyways.

I think this law is focused on targeting and removing sites that host content, not the people who download it.

[Zostrianos]

I think this law is focused on targeting and removing sites that host content, not the people who download it.

Although apparently in France and Britain (which have draconian piracy laws), they monitor download sites to track users and downloaders, and then either send them warning letters, cut off their internet access, or pass their info onto companies so they can file lawsuits against them

[Tablo]

I think this law is focused on targeting and removing sites that host content, not the people who download it.
So they would literally censor the internet like Australia and some other countries? Or would it just shut down violators hosted in the US?

[Hexen]

Lesson be learned, Capitalism and Free Internet are incompatible as clearly shown unfolding before us.

[CommunityBeliever]

I'll just start going to internet cafés to download stuff anonymously.

Using a computer you don't even own, including one at an internet café, is a total non-solution. Those computers could have total monitoring. Ideally, you should only use physical hardware that you own that uses free software under your control.

[black magick hustla]

a lot of the big pirate hubs have servers in "pirateland" like russia, mexico, or third world countries that have more pressing concerns than legislating against piracy lol. silly law and it was probably pushed by technologically illiiterate grandpas

[ВАЛТЕР]

Good luck, I'm behind 7 proxies.

They'll take me internet from my cold dead hands....

These laws are hilarious, and cannot be executed efficiently.

[piet11111]

Most people that intend to enforce these laws lack the knowledge to actually do so.

[Sperm-Doll Setsuna]

I've known people in the U.S. who have been disconnected from Internet service because of complaints to the ISP by the vile media groups paid to monitor downloads by the copyright-nuts.

[xub3rn00dlex]

Good luck, I'm behind 7 proxies.

They'll take me internet from my cold dead hands....

These laws are hilarious, and cannot be executed efficiently.

Do teach. How are your speeds? I assusme you do a 1:1 ratio?

[ВАЛТЕР]

Do teach. How are your speeds? I assusme you do a 1:1 ratio?


http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/good-luck-im-behind-7-proxies#.TrLeErKYH-c

lol

If you want to be anonymous online and get different IP addresses, download "Hotspot Shield" it's free and it gives you a different IP address, plus it works pretty fast.

[Princess Luna]

It appears large internet companies like Google and Yahoo oppose the bill
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/11/04/google-may-dump-chamber-of-commerce-over-protect-ip-bill/

[Broletariat]

It appears large internet companies like Google and Yahoo oppose the bill
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/11/04/google-may-dump-chamber-of-commerce-over-protect-ip-bill/

I would assume so, the only thing I use google for is searching for shit to download.

[Josephine Garfunkel]

Why worry about say... debt... when you can propose laws that no one except the government cares about? Except the sad fact is, most people probably won't see anything wrong with it.

[X5N]

I'm pretty sure this thing passing would be the last thing I need to officially hate the U.S. government.

[Sendo]

Here's me hoping Anonymous starts hacking every Senator to dig up as much dirt as they can. Make them pay. Every sordid affair needs to be known. Not because I care, but because it will embarrass them and ruin their careers. These old codgers undoubtedly have unencrypted e-mails stored on computers or they use Internet Explorer 6 (if on XP) or 8 (if on win7).

[Blackscare]

You guys, just get a VPN and you'll be fine. Download away.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_network#Security_mechanisms


Just don't cheap out, get a good service. Also, start using something like openbsd if you're really into security and privacy. It's basically linux (well, it's a *nix that has a few technical differences most users won't care about, but I like better these days).