<s>
On	O
January	O
18	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
coordinated	O
protests	O
occurred	O
against	O
two	O
proposed	O
laws	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Congress	O
—	O
the	O
Stop	B-Application
Online	I-Application
Piracy	I-Application
Act	I-Application
(	O
SOPA	B-Application
)	O
and	O
the	O
PROTECT	O
IP	O
Act	O
(	O
PIPA	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Protests	O
were	O
based	O
on	O
concerns	O
that	O
the	O
bills	O
,	O
intended	O
to	O
provide	O
more	O
robust	O
responses	O
to	O
copyright	O
infringement	O
(	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
piracy	O
)	O
arising	O
outside	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
contained	O
measures	O
that	O
could	O
possibly	O
infringe	O
online	B-Application
freedom	I-Application
of	I-Application
speech	I-Application
,	O
websites	O
,	O
and	O
Internet	B-Architecture
communities	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
move	O
to	O
a	O
formal	O
protest	O
was	O
initiated	O
when	O
Fight	B-Application
for	I-Application
the	I-Application
Future	I-Application
organized	O
thousands	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
websites	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
English	O
Wikipedia	O
,	O
to	O
temporarily	O
close	O
or	O
interrupt	O
their	O
content	O
and	O
redirect	O
users	O
to	O
a	O
message	O
opposing	O
the	O
proposed	O
legislation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Websites	O
such	O
as	O
Google	B-Application
,	O
Reddit	B-Application
,	O
Mozilla	B-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Flickr	B-Algorithm
soon	O
featured	O
protests	O
against	O
the	O
acts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Fight	B-Application
for	I-Application
the	I-Application
Future	I-Application
,	O
more	O
than	O
115,000	O
websites	O
joined	O
the	O
Internet	O
protest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
January	O
protest	O
,	O
initially	O
planned	O
to	O
coincide	O
with	O
the	O
first	O
SOPA	B-Application
hearing	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
,	O
drew	O
publicity	O
and	O
reaction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
18	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
itself	O
,	O
more	O
than	O
8	O
million	O
people	O
looked	O
up	O
their	O
representative	O
on	O
Wikipedia	O
,	O
3	O
million	O
people	O
emailed	O
Congress	O
to	O
express	O
opposition	O
to	O
the	O
bills	O
,	O
more	O
than	O
1	O
million	O
messages	O
were	O
sent	O
to	O
Congress	O
through	O
the	O
Electronic	O
Frontier	O
Foundation	O
,	O
a	O
petition	B-Application
at	O
Google	B-Application
recorded	O
over	O
4.5	O
million	O
signatures	O
,	O
Twitter	B-Application
recorded	O
at	O
least	O
2.4	O
million	O
SOPA-related	O
tweets	O
,	O
and	O
lawmakers	O
collected	O
"	O
more	O
than	O
14	O
million	O
names	O
—	O
more	O
than	O
10	O
million	O
of	O
them	O
voters	O
—	O
who	O
contacted	O
them	O
to	O
protest	O
"	O
the	O
bills	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Stop	B-Application
Online	I-Application
Piracy	I-Application
Act	I-Application
(	O
SOPA	B-Application
)	O
and	O
the	O
PROTECT	O
IP	O
Act	O
(	O
PIPA	O
)	O
are	O
bills	O
that	O
were	O
introduced	O
into	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
House	O
of	O
Representatives	O
and	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Senate	O
in	O
the	O
last	O
quarter	O
of	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SOPA	B-Application
and	O
PIPA	O
proposed	O
to	O
rectify	O
this	O
by	O
cutting	O
off	O
infringing	O
sites	O
from	O
their	O
U.S.-based	O
funding	O
(	O
particularly	O
advertising	O
)	O
,	O
payment	O
processors	O
,	O
appearances	O
on	O
search	B-Application
engines	I-Application
,	O
and	O
visibility	O
on	O
web	B-Application
browsers	I-Application
,	O
instead	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Notably	O
,	O
the	O
provisions	O
also	O
involved	O
modifying	O
the	O
Domain	B-Protocol
Name	I-Protocol
System	I-Protocol
,	O
a	O
crucial	O
service	O
that	O
underpins	O
the	O
entire	O
Internet	O
and	O
allows	O
computers	O
to	O
locate	O
each	O
other	O
reliably	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Those	O
opposed	O
included	O
a	O
mixture	O
of	O
technology	O
and	O
Internet	O
firms	O
and	O
associations	O
,	O
content	O
creators	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Wikipedia	O
community	O
,	O
free	B-Application
software	I-Application
authors	O
,	O
free	O
speech	O
organizations	O
,	O
lawmakers	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
websites	O
and	O
organizations	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
public	O
using	O
their	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Perceived	O
consequences	O
included	O
serious	O
undermining	B-Application
of	I-Application
free	I-Application
speech	I-Application
on	I-Application
the	I-Application
Internet	I-Application
,	O
devastation	O
of	O
the	O
Internet	O
's	O
communities	O
,	O
and	O
widespread	O
closure	O
and	O
chilling	O
of	O
websites	O
,	O
particularly	O
those	O
including	O
user-created	O
content	O
or	O
organizations	O
such	O
as	O
libraries	O
providing	O
reference	O
information	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Effects	O
on	O
critical	O
Internet	O
architecture	O
Technical	O
experts	O
testified	O
that	O
the	O
proposed	O
DNS	B-Protocol
measures	O
conflicted	O
with	O
the	O
fundamental	B-Architecture
basis	I-Architecture
of	I-Architecture
the	I-Architecture
Internet	I-Architecture
and	O
would	O
"	O
break	O
"	O
ongoing	O
attempts	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
net	O
more	O
secure	O
against	O
malicious	O
use	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
policy	O
director	O
,	O
Bob	O
Boorstin	O
,	O
stated	O
that	O
a	O
site	O
like	O
YouTube	B-General_Concept
supporting	O
user-generated	O
content	O
"	O
would	O
just	O
go	O
dark	O
immediately	O
"	O
to	O
comply	O
with	O
the	O
legislation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tumblr	B-Application
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
websites	O
active	O
in	O
grassroots	O
activism	O
against	O
the	O
bills	O
,	O
added	O
a	O
feature	O
that	O
"	O
censored	O
"	O
its	O
website	O
on	O
November	O
16	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
social	O
media	O
aggregator	O
Reddit	B-Application
also	O
became	O
deeply	O
involved	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
15	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
House	O
Judiciary	O
Committee	O
mark-up	O
hearing	O
took	O
place	O
for	O
SOPA	B-Application
,	O
prior	O
to	O
its	O
eventual	O
move	O
to	O
the	O
House	O
floor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
this	O
time	O
,	O
numerous	O
websites	O
began	O
displaying	O
banners	O
and	O
messages	O
promoting	O
their	O
readerships	O
to	O
contact	O
Congress	O
to	O
stop	O
the	O
progress	O
of	O
the	O
bill	O
,	O
and	O
some	O
websites	O
began	O
to	O
discuss	O
or	O
endorse	O
a	O
possible	O
"	O
Internet	O
blackout	O
"	O
before	O
any	O
vote	O
on	O
SOPA	B-Application
in	O
the	O
House	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
means	O
of	O
further	O
protest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reddit	B-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
major	O
site	O
to	O
announce	O
an	O
"	O
Internet	O
blackout	O
"	O
for	O
January	O
18	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
and	O
several	O
other	O
sites	O
shortly	O
followed	O
,	O
coordinating	O
actions	O
for	O
that	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
notable	O
political	O
response	O
to	O
the	O
November	O
2011	O
protests	O
was	O
the	O
outlining	O
in	O
early	O
December	O
of	O
a	O
bipartisan	O
third	O
,	O
alternative	O
,	O
bill	O
with	O
the	O
support	O
of	O
technology	O
companies	O
such	O
as	O
Google	B-Application
and	O
Facebook	B-Application
,	O
which	O
unusually	O
had	O
been	O
posted	O
on	O
the	O
Internet	O
to	O
allow	O
public	O
comment	O
and	O
suggestions	O
in	O
light	O
of	O
the	O
widespread	O
protests	O
related	O
to	O
the	O
SOPA	B-Application
and	O
PIPA	O
bills	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
proposed	O
placing	O
enforcement	O
in	O
the	O
hands	O
of	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
International	O
Trade	O
Commission	O
,	O
keeping	O
provisions	O
that	O
targeted	O
payments	O
and	O
advertising	O
for	O
infringing	O
websites	O
,	O
and	O
tightly	O
targeted	O
wording	O
to	O
avoid	O
many	O
other	O
key	O
areas	O
of	O
concern	O
with	O
SOPA	B-Application
and	O
PIPA	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
11	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
Senator	O
Patrick	O
Leahy	O
,	O
the	O
main	O
sponsor	O
for	O
PIPA	O
,	O
said	O
of	O
the	O
DNS	B-Protocol
filtering	O
provision	O
,	O
"	O
I	O
will	O
therefore	O
propose	O
that	O
the	O
positive	O
and	O
negative	O
effects	O
of	O
this	O
provision	O
be	O
studied	O
before	O
implemented	O
"	O
,	O
reported	O
by	O
some	O
papers	O
as	O
removal	O
of	O
those	O
provisions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
16	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
SOPA	B-Application
was	O
discussed	O
by	O
the	O
U.S.	O
House	O
Committee	O
on	O
the	O
Judiciary	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tumblr	B-Application
,	O
Mozilla	B-Operating_System
,	O
Techdirt	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Center	O
for	O
Democracy	O
and	O
Technology	O
were	O
among	O
many	O
Internet	O
companies	O
who	O
protested	O
by	O
participating	O
in	O
'	O
American	O
Censorship	O
Day	O
 '	O
,	O
by	O
displaying	O
black	O
banners	O
over	O
their	O
site	O
logos	O
with	O
the	O
words	O
"	O
STOP	O
CENSORSHIP.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
22	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
users	O
at	O
Reddit	B-Application
proposed	O
a	O
boycott	O
and	O
a	O
public	O
day	O
for	O
switching	O
away	O
from	O
then	O
–	O
SOPA	B-Application
supporter	O
GoDaddy	O
,	O
the	O
largest	O
ICANN-accredited	O
registrar	B-Application
in	O
the	O
world	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
Move	B-Application
Your	I-Application
Domain	I-Application
Day	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Popular	O
websites	O
that	O
moved	O
domains	O
included	O
Imgur	B-Algorithm
,	O
the	O
Wikimedia	O
Foundation	O
,	O
and	O
Cheezburger	O
—	O
which	O
stated	O
it	O
would	O
remove	O
over	O
1,000	O
domains	O
from	O
GoDaddy	O
if	O
they	O
continued	O
their	O
support	O
of	O
SOPA	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
23	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
GoDaddy	O
withdrew	O
its	O
support	O
for	O
SOPA	B-Application
,	O
releasing	O
a	O
statement	O
saying	O
"	O
GoDaddy	O
will	O
support	O
it	O
when	O
and	O
if	O
the	O
Internet	B-Architecture
community	I-Architecture
supports	O
it.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Further	O
outrage	O
was	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
many	O
Internet	O
sites	O
would	O
be	O
subject	O
to	O
shutdowns	O
under	O
SOPA	B-Application
,	O
but	O
GoDaddy	O
is	O
in	O
a	O
narrow	O
class	O
of	O
exempted	O
businesses	O
that	O
would	O
have	O
immunity	O
,	O
whereas	O
many	O
other	O
domain	O
operators	O
would	O
not	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
26	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
a	O
Google	B-Application
bomb	O
was	O
started	O
against	O
GoDaddy	O
to	O
remove	O
them	O
from	O
the	O
#1	O
place	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
for	O
the	O
term	O
"	O
Domain	O
Registration	O
"	O
in	O
retaliation	O
for	O
supporting	O
SOPA	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
then	O
disseminated	O
through	O
Hacker	B-Application
News	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reddit	B-Application
users	O
noted	O
that	O
by	O
December	O
22	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
SOPA	B-Application
supporters	O
were	O
discovering	O
the	O
backlash	O
that	O
could	O
arise	O
from	O
ignoring	O
social	O
media	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
on	O
December	O
29	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
itself	O
,	O
GoDaddy	O
gained	O
a	O
net	O
of	O
20,748	O
domains	O
,	O
twice	O
as	O
many	O
as	O
it	O
lost	O
that	O
day	O
,	O
attributed	O
by	O
Techdirt	O
to	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
causes	O
,	O
in	O
particular	O
customers	O
having	O
moved	O
early	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
appeased	O
customer	O
response	O
to	O
their	O
change	O
of	O
position	O
over	O
SOPA	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
10	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
Wikipedia	O
co-founder	O
Jimmy	O
Wales	O
drew	O
attention	O
to	O
concerns	O
over	O
SOPA	B-Application
,	O
which	O
he	O
described	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
much	O
worse	O
law	O
"	O
than	O
the	O
DDL	O
intercettazioni	O
(	O
Wiretapping	O
Bill	O
)	O
in	O
Italy	O
some	O
months	O
earlier	O
,	O
and	O
which	O
was	O
being	O
fast-tracked	O
through	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Congress	O
under	O
a	O
"	O
misleading	O
title	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
stated	O
he	O
was	O
attending	O
high-level	O
meetings	O
on	O
this	O
,	O
and	O
wanted	O
to	O
gauge	O
the	O
sense	O
of	O
the	O
English	O
Wikipedia	O
community	O
on	O
the	O
issue	O
,	O
and	O
specifically	O
on	O
the	O
question	O
of	O
a	O
blackout	O
similar	O
to	O
that	B-Application
held	I-Application
successfully	I-Application
in	O
October	O
2011	O
by	O
Italian	O
Wikipedia	O
editors	O
over	O
the	O
proposed	O
media	O
censorship	O
law	O
in	O
that	O
country	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
initial	O
informal	O
discussions	O
which	O
resulted	O
in	O
a	O
positive	O
response	O
,	O
a	O
formal	O
consultation	O
titled	O
"	O
SOPA	B-Application
Initiative	O
"	O
was	O
opened	O
by	O
the	O
community	O
to	O
consider	O
specific	O
proposals	O
and	O
preferred	O
options	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
blocking	O
action	O
was	O
purposely	O
not	O
complete	O
;	O
users	O
could	O
access	O
Wikipedia	O
content	O
from	O
the	O
mobile	O
interface	O
or	O
mirror	O
sites	O
,	O
or	O
if	O
they	O
disabled	O
JavaScript	B-Language
or	O
other	O
web	B-Application
browser	I-Application
functions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
hours	O
of	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
the	O
blackout	O
,	O
many	O
websites	O
posted	O
instructions	O
for	O
disabling	O
the	O
banner	O
,	O
by	O
altering	O
URLs	O
,	O
using	O
browser	B-Application
add-ons	O
such	O
as	O
Adblock	B-Application
Plus	I-Application
or	O
Greasemonkey	B-Operating_System
,	O
or	O
interrupting	O
the	O
page	O
from	O
loading	O
completely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
common	O
rationale	O
expressed	O
by	O
about	O
a	O
fifth	O
of	O
the	O
editors	O
was	O
the	O
sentiment	O
that	O
"	O
SOPA	B-Application
was	O
perceived	O
as	O
a	O
worldwide	O
threat	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
protest	O
organizer	O
Fight	B-Application
for	I-Application
the	I-Application
Future	I-Application
,	O
more	O
than	O
115,000	O
websites	O
participated	O
in	O
the	O
protest	O
,	O
including	O
Google	B-Application
and	O
Wikipedia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Websites	O
that	O
participated	O
in	O
the	O
blackout	O
included	O
Cheezburger	O
,	O
Craigslist	O
,	O
Boing	O
Boing	O
,	O
A	O
Softer	O
World	O
,	O
Cake	O
Wrecks	O
,	O
Cyanide	O
&	O
Happiness	O
,	O
Demand	B-Application
Progress	I-Application
,	O
Destructoid	O
,	O
Entertainment	O
Consumers	O
Association	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Free	O
Press	O
,	O
Failblog	O
,	O
Newgrounds	B-Operating_System
,	O
Good.is,	O
GOG.com,	O
GamesRadar	O
,	O
Internet	O
Archive	O
,	O
Marxists	O
Internet	O
Archive	O
,	O
Jay	O
is	O
Games	O
,	O
Mojang	O
,	O
MoveOn.org,	O
Mozilla	B-Operating_System
,	O
MS	O
Paint	O
Adventures	O
,	O
Rate	O
Your	O
Music	O
,	O
Reddit	B-Application
,	O
Roblox	B-Protocol
,	O
Oh	O
No	O
They	O
Did	O
n't	O
,	O
Tucows	O
,	O
blip.tv,	O
Tumblr	B-Application
,	O
TwitPic	O
,	O
Twitter	B-Application
,	O
The	O
Oatmeal	O
,	O
VGMusic	O
,	O
Wikia	O
,	O
WordPress	B-Application
,	O
the	O
webcomic	O
xkcd	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
corporate	O
site	O
of	O
the	O
Linux	B-Application
distribution	O
openSUSE	B-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
congressional	O
websites	O
of	O
Silicon	O
Valley	O
representatives	O
Anna	O
Eshoo	O
and	O
Zoe	O
Lofgren	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
announced	O
their	O
intention	O
to	O
join	O
the	O
blackout	O
by	O
altering	O
their	O
logo	O
for	O
US	O
visitors	O
for	O
the	O
day	O
,	O
almost	O
entirely	O
obscuring	O
it	O
with	O
an	O
interactive	O
black	O
redaction	O
swath	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Clicking	O
through	O
the	O
specially	O
designed	O
logo	O
took	O
readers	O
to	O
an	O
informational	O
page	O
about	O
the	O
bills	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
opportunity	O
to	O
sign	O
a	O
petition	B-Application
to	O
be	O
sent	O
to	O
Congress	O
stating	O
their	O
concerns	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
Mozilla	I-Operating_System
Foundation	I-Operating_System
altered	O
the	O
default	O
start	O
page	O
of	O
their	O
Firefox	B-Application
web	I-Application
browser	I-Application
,	O
blacking	O
it	O
out	O
and	O
providing	O
links	O
with	O
more	O
information	O
on	O
the	O
SOPA/PIPA	O
bills	O
and	O
the	O
opposition	O
to	O
them	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
allow	O
users	O
to	O
email	O
their	O
Congressional	O
representatives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mojang	O
's	O
bestselling	O
game	O
Minecraft	B-Application
made	O
a	O
splash	O
text	O
that	O
said	O
"	O
SOPA	B-Application
means	O
LOSER	O
in	O
Swedish	O
!	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Wired	O
magazine	O
's	O
online	O
site	O
used	O
Javascript	B-Language
to	O
place	O
black	O
bars	O
on	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
text	O
on	O
their	O
page	O
,	O
as	O
if	O
the	O
text	O
were	O
redacted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Outside	O
of	O
their	O
key	O
article	O
regarding	O
SOPA/PIPA	O
,	O
readers	O
could	O
remove	O
the	O
bars	O
with	O
a	O
mouse	O
click	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
photo-sharing	O
website	O
Flickr	B-Algorithm
created	O
the	O
ability	O
for	O
a	O
registered	O
user	O
to	O
"	O
censor	O
"	O
an	O
unlimited	O
number	O
(	O
up	O
from	O
an	O
initial	O
limit	O
of	O
ten	O
)	O
of	O
photos	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
user-selected	O
photographs	O
were	O
greyed	O
out	O
and	O
included	O
informational	O
text	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
demonstration	O
of	O
how	O
SOPA/PIPA	O
regulation	O
would	O
affect	O
the	O
site	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
video	O
was	O
circulated	O
by	O
the	O
League	O
for	O
Gamers	O
(	O
founded	O
by	O
Mark	O
Kern	O
and	O
supported	O
by	O
ScrewAttack	O
,	O
Extra	O
Credits	O
,	O
and	O
LoadingReadyRun	O
)	O
protesting	O
the	O
Entertainment	O
Software	O
Association	O
's	O
support	O
of	O
SOPA	B-Application
by	O
gathering	O
support	O
to	O
boycott	O
the	O
ESA	O
's	O
popular	O
E3	O
convention	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
media	O
organizations	O
including	O
The	O
Washington	O
Post	O
,	O
The	O
Guardian	O
,	O
and	O
NPR	O
encouraged	O
a	O
"	O
crowdsourcing	O
solution	O
for	O
those	O
left	O
searching	O
for	O
answers	O
"	O
during	O
the	O
Wikipedia	B-Application
blackout	I-Application
by	O
inviting	O
users	O
to	O
ask	O
questions	O
on	O
Twitter	B-Application
using	O
the	O
hashtag	O
#altwiki	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dick	O
Costolo	O
,	O
CEO	O
of	O
social	O
networking	O
site	O
Twitter	B-Application
,	O
rejected	O
calls	O
for	O
Twitter	B-Application
to	O
join	O
the	O
protest	O
,	O
tweeting	O
that	O
"[c]losing	O
a	O
global	O
business	O
in	O
reaction	O
to	O
single-issue	O
national	O
politics	O
is	O
foolish.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
,	O
some	O
thought	O
Costolo	O
referred	O
to	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
blackout	O
movements	O
on	O
January	O
18	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
but	O
afterwards	O
clarified	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
referring	O
to	O
a	O
hypothetical	O
blackout	O
of	O
Twitter	B-Application
,	O
and	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
supportive	O
of	O
the	O
Wikipedia	B-Application
blackout	I-Application
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
17	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
in	O
response	O
to	O
growing	O
concerns	O
over	O
PIPA	O
and	O
SOPA	B-Application
,	O
the	O
White	O
House	O
stated	O
that	O
it	O
"	O
will	O
not	O
support	O
legislation	O
that	O
reduces	O
freedom	O
of	O
expression	O
,	O
increases	O
cybersecurity	O
risk	O
,	O
or	O
undermines	O
the	O
dynamic	O
,	O
innovative	O
global	O
Internet.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
petition	B-Application
created	O
and	O
linked	O
to	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
recorded	O
over	O
4.5	O
million	O
signatures	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
Electronic	O
Frontier	O
Foundation	O
reported	O
that	O
more	O
than	O
1	O
million	O
email	O
messages	O
were	O
sent	O
to	O
congressmen	O
through	O
their	O
site	O
during	O
the	O
blackout	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MSNBC	O
reported	O
that	O
over	O
2.4	O
million	O
Twitter	B-Application
messages	O
about	O
SOPA	B-Application
,	O
PIPA	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
blackouts	O
were	O
made	O
during	O
a	O
16-hour	O
period	O
on	O
January	O
18	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
by	O
Twitter	B-Application
users	O
including	O
Facebook	B-Application
founder	O
Mark	O
Zuckerberg	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
not	O
used	O
the	O
service	O
since	O
2009	O
,	O
to	O
encourage	O
his	O
followers	O
to	O
contact	O
their	O
congressmen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
Twitter	B-Application
,	O
a	O
joke	O
hashtag	O
#factswithoutWikipedia	O
trended	O
with	O
users	O
posting	O
humorous	O
fake	O
"	O
facts.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Startled	O
"	O
Internet	O
users	O
frustrated	O
or	O
angry	O
at	O
their	O
loss	O
of	O
Wikipedia	O
for	O
the	O
day	O
used	O
Twitter	B-Application
as	O
an	O
outlet	O
;	O
politicians	O
likewise	O
turned	O
to	O
Twitter	B-Application
when	O
overwhelmed	O
by	O
the	O
public	O
communications	O
flood	O
in	O
support	O
of	O
the	O
blackout	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
Silicon	O
Valley	O
lobbyist	O
said	O
the	O
content	O
industry	O
had	O
"	O
a	O
lot	O
to	O
learn	O
,	O
"	O
noting	O
that	O
they	O
do	O
n't	O
have	O
grassroots	O
support	O
:	O
"	O
There	O
are	O
no	O
Facebook	B-Application
pages	O
to	O
call	O
your	O
congressman	O
to	O
support	O
PIPA	O
and	O
SOPA.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
That	O
's	O
why	O
the	O
SOPA	B-Application
protests	I-Application
were	O
so	O
effective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bill	O
Keller	O
was	O
of	O
the	O
view	O
that	O
"	O
Jimmy	O
Wales	O
...	O
assumed	O
a	O
higher	O
profile	O
as	O
a	O
combatant	O
for	O
the	O
tech	O
industry	O
 [ and ] 	O
supplied	O
an	O
aura	O
of	O
credibility	O
to	O
a	O
libertarian	O
alliance	O
that	O
ranged	O
from	O
the	O
money-farming	O
Megatrons	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
to	O
the	O
hacker	O
anarchists	O
of	O
Anonymous.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Recording	O
Industry	O
Association	O
of	O
America	O
President	O
Cary	O
Sherman	O
noted	O
that	O
the	O
major	O
television	O
networks	O
supported	O
the	O
legislation	O
but	O
,	O
unlike	O
Wikipedia	O
and	O
Google	B-Application
,	O
did	O
not	O
use	O
their	O
platforms	O
to	O
try	O
to	O
shape	O
public	O
opinion	O
:	O
"	O
when	O
Wikipedia	O
and	O
Google	B-Application
purport	O
to	O
be	O
neutral	O
sources	O
of	O
information	O
that	O
is	O
not	O
only	O
not	O
neutral	O
but	O
affirmatively	O
incomplete	O
and	O
misleading	O
,	O
they	O
are	O
duping	O
their	O
users	O
into	O
accepting	O
as	O
truth	O
what	O
are	O
merely	O
self-serving	O
political	O
declarations.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Rep.	O
Lamar	O
Smith	O
,	O
who	O
sponsored	O
SOPA	B-Application
,	O
flatly	O
stated	O
in	O
a	O
commentary	O
on	O
Fox	O
News	O
that	O
"	O
This	O
bill	O
does	O
not	O
threaten	O
the	O
Internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	O
Wide	O
Web	O
inventor	O
Sir	O
Tim	O
Berners-Lee	O
"	O
scathingly	O
"	O
attacked	O
the	O
SOPA	B-Application
and	O
PIPA	O
legislation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SOPA	B-Application
and	I-Application
PIPA	I-Application
protests	I-Application
were	O
overlapped	O
and	O
followed	O
by	O
protests	O
against	O
ACTA	O
which	O
has	O
a	O
similar	O
sense	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
concerns	O
of	O
ACTA	O
are	O
much	O
related	O
and	O
raised	O
after	O
the	O
protests	B-Application
against	I-Application
SOPA	I-Application
and	I-Application
PIPA	I-Application
which	O
directed	O
the	O
public	O
attention	O
to	O
bills	O
and	O
acts	O
that	O
may	O
threaten	O
Internet	O
and	O
civic	O
liberties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
one	O
account	O
,	O
the	O
shift	O
in	O
stated	O
positions	O
on	O
SOPA/PIPA	O
by	O
members	O
of	O
Congress	O
had	O
gone	O
overnight	O
from	O
80	O
for	O
and	O
31	O
against	O
to	O
65	O
for	O
and	O
101	O
against	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similarly	O
,	O
the	O
House	O
Judiciary	O
Subcommittee	O
chairman	O
,	O
Representative	O
Lamar	O
S	O
.	O
Smith	O
,	O
announced	O
that	O
further	O
voting	O
on	O
SOPA	B-Application
would	O
be	O
placed	O
on	O
hold	O
"	O
until	O
there	O
is	O
wider	O
agreement	O
on	O
a	O
solution.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Wikipedia	O
went	O
black	O
to	O
protest	O
SOPA	B-Application
and	O
more	O
than	O
seven	O
million	O
people	O
signed	O
online	B-Application
petitions	I-Application
,	O
many	O
of	O
which	O
said	O
the	O
bills	O
would	O
"	O
break	O
the	O
Internet.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
Electronic	O
Frontier	O
Foundation	O
(	O
EFF	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
SOPA	B-Application
and	O
PIPA	O
are	O
really	O
only	O
the	O
tip	O
of	O
the	O
iceberg	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Anti-Counterfeiting	O
Trade	O
Agreement	O
(	O
ACTA	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
pending	O
international	O
treaty	O
signed	O
by	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
in	O
October	O
2011	O
,	O
is	O
similar	O
to	O
SOPA	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Examples	O
considered	O
"	O
similar	O
to	O
SOPA/PIPA	O
"	O
by	O
other	O
analyses	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
337/2011	O
—	O
European	O
Communities	O
(	O
Electronic	O
Communications	O
Networks	O
and	O
Services	O
)	O
(	O
Universal	O
Service	O
and	O
Users	O
 '	O
Rights	O
)	O
Regulations	O
2011	O
"	O
has	O
been	O
described	O
by	O
news	O
media	O
as	O
"	O
Ireland	O
's	O
SOPA.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Russia	O
's	O
proposed	O
law	O
Duma	O
Bill	O
89417-6	O
,	O
titled	O
"	O
On	O
protection	O
of	O
children	O
from	O
information	O
harmful	O
to	O
their	O
health	O
and	O
development	O
"	O
has	O
also	O
been	O
described	O
as	O
"	O
Russia	O
's	O
SOPA	B-Application
"	O
:	O
poorly	O
defined	O
(	O
overly	O
broad	O
and	O
unclear	O
definitions	O
of	O
which	O
sites	O
are	O
liable	O
under	O
its	O
censorship	O
provisions	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
using	O
a	O
flawed	O
blocking	O
mechanism	O
(	O
the	O
blocking	O
of	O
IP	O
addresses	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
shared	O
by	O
many	O
sites	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
USA	O
's	O
CISPA	O
bill	O
(	O
Cyber	O
Intelligence	O
Sharing	O
and	O
Protection	O
Act	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
allow	O
for	O
the	O
sharing	O
of	O
Internet	O
traffic	O
information	O
between	O
the	O
U.S.	O
government	O
and	O
technology	O
and	O
manufacturing	O
companies	O
,	O
has	O
been	O
described	O
as	O
"	O
worse	O
than	O
SOPA	B-Application
and	O
PIPA	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2022	O
,	O
Tiffiniy	O
Cheng	O
of	O
Techdirt	O
wrote	O
that	O
"	O
The	O
SOPA	B-Application
Blackout	I-Application
not	O
only	O
killed	O
the	O
bill	O
in	O
2012	O
,	O
but	O
shook	O
Congress	O
so	O
profoundly	O
that	O
no	O
significant	O
copyright	O
legislation	O
has	O
been	O
introduced	O
in	O
the	O
ten	O
years	O
since	O
.	O
</s>
