Wikipedia has instituted a 24 hour black out as a means of protesting two online piracy bills that have been introduced in the US House of Representatives and US Senate. The bills, dubbed SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act), are intended to hamper the rampant online piracy perpetrated by foreign websites, but the bills’ opponents claim they violate the first amendment and are little more than internet censorship.
The White House has spoken out against the bills, and with all the negative attention they are garnering, passage in their current form seems unlikely.
