Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
[UPDATE] Today The Internet Roars: Protests, Blackouts Against SOPA
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 18, 2012
Modified Jan 18, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 18, 2012
Modified Jan 18, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
[UPDATE BELOW]
What? You don't think this country needs "Austrian economics" to return to greatness? Why, if you just Wikipedia what that means, surely you'll—GAH! While Wikipedia and Reddit have gone black today to protest the anti-internet piracy bills SOPA and PIPA, the 20,000-strong NY Tech Meetup group has organized a protest today between 12:30 and 2 p.m. in front of the offices of Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand—both supporters of the legislation.
In addition to essentially the entire internet (yes, even GoDaddy) being against the bill, the Obama administration came out against it on Saturday saying they will "not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet."
Specifically, they were referring to the DNS provisions of the bills that would allow "foreign" websites found to be in violation of the law to be taken down immediately without due process. Some might think that the government would later use this to do the same to domestic sites, but they're crazy!
Though SOPA sponsor and Texas Republican Rep. Lamar Smith has dropped the DNS provision from the language of the bill (and PIPA's sponsors don't support their similar language either), critics of SOPA still believe the legislation is odious. SOPA would require websites to delete links from their search results to websites deemed "illegal," and that all the anticipated SOPA and PIPA-related lawsuits would make the cost of creating an internet startup too high. Your dream of creating a dating site for shy, bee aficionados (Bumblr) might be lost forever.
The Senate is scheduled to vote on PIPA next Tuesday, and Smith dismissed the protests today as a "publicity stunt." "Perhaps during the blackout, Internet users can look elsewhere for an accurate definition of online piracy," he told The Hill. So write your senator or make a disgruntled call to your rep: we're tired of waiting ten seconds to troll for anonymous sex.
[UPDATE 3:30 p.m.] PIPA and SOPA's sponsorers are dropping like flies: Republican Senator from Florida and PIPA's co-sponsor Marco Rubio has backed away from the bill. "I have a strong interest in stopping online piracy that costs Florida jobs," Rubio "wrote" on Facebook. "However, we must do this while simultaneously promoting an open, dynamic Internet environment that is ripe for innovation and promotes new technologies." Rubio could try to defend this to his conservative constituents with the whole "less government" argument but his cries will be probably be drowned out by screams of "job killer!"
And the LA Times reports that SOPA co-sponsors Republican congressmen Lee Terry and Ben Quayle are backing down from their bill. "The bill could have some unintended consequences that need to be addressed," a Quayle spokesman told the paper. "Basically it needs more work before he can support it." Plus, Quayle's dad needs Wikipedia to know how to spell "potato."
Tagged
blackouts
craigslist
internet
nerds
online piracy
PIPA
piracy
protests
SOPA
Wikipedia
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Remote learning day for NYC schools means remote chance of learning, parents say
The remote day kicked off with a familiar ritual that began in the pandemic: kids struggling to log on.
By
Jessica Gould
Published Nov 3, 2026 at 3:23 p.m. ET
MTA posts record riders over Halloween, marathon week
The numbers highlight the MTA’s continuing post-pandemic recovery as it has campaigned to get people back on the trains after the COVID pandemic.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
News
MTA posts record riders over Halloween, marathon week
The numbers highlight the MTA’s continuing post-pandemic recovery as it has campaigned to get people back on the trains after the COVID pandemic.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Floyd Bennett Field gets $10M for project to reopen historic hangars
By
Rosemary Misdary
Trump administration sends election monitors to NYC, NJ
By
Catalina Gonella
Child dies in raging Upstate New York measles outbreak
By
Caroline Lewis
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .