On January 18, 2012 the Internet “went dark” in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA).

Both of these bills would alter the technical operations of the Internet, and threaten Internet Freedom and openness online. If these bills pass, they will change the Internet as we know it. Neither bill would be effective at stamping out online piracy, but both will have consequences for how the Internet functions as a whole.

The language in the bills could impact a lot of lawful websites that artists use for publishing and distributing their work. In addition, organizers and Human Rights advocates who depend on the open Internet for organizing and advocacy could now face increased Internet censorship and threats to online speech.

Community Media Workshop joined this protest by “blacking out” our Newstips site and our Chicago is the World blog for 24 hours.

The issue doesn’t die after the black out date. The Senate votes on PIPA on January 24, 2012. Make sure your voice is heard, now. You can take part in the SOPA strike by clicking here, or by contacting your congressperson. You can write congress by clicking here.