David Charboneau
Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA)
SOPA was a United States Bill that was intended to expand protection in areas of copyright and counterfeit protection. The bill would allow for court orders to restrict networks from engaging in transactions with non government approved websites. The bill also entitles that search engines delete links to these non approved websites as well as service providers denying accesses to the non government approved domains.
SOPA Bill Details (According to Wikipedia)
- House Bill 3261
- Introduced in the House as H.R. 3261 by Lamar Smith (R-TX) on October 26, 2011
- Committee consideration by: House Judiciary Committee
Protect IP Act (PIPA)(Preventing Online Threats To Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act)
PIPA is a proposed bill that would allow United States government officials and Copyright holders additional resources to assist them in narrowing access to websites that engage in the sale of counterfeit items. The Act would especially concentrate on websites that are registered outside the United States. The bill was estimated to cost the federal government 47 million dollars through 2016.
PIPA Bill Details (According to Wikipedia)
- Senate Bill 968
- Introduced in the Senate by Patrick Leahy on May 12, 2011
Anonymous
Anonymous is a virtual hacktivist community that engages in publicity stunts that receive a lot of public attention. The group terms themselves to be internet gathers that operate under a command structure that works off ideas rather than directives. The group protest such issue like the bills listed above (SOPA and PIPA) in a series of cyber attacks with efforts to express the groups concerns with a government body putting limitations on networks that they don't truly own. Anonymous is know for protest acts such the Denial of Service attacks on cooperating government websites.
Anonymous Details (According to Wikipedia)
- Formation (2004)
(Purpose or Goals)
- Anti-cyber-surveillance
- Anti-cyber-censorship
- Internet activism
- Internet vigilantism
Hackers Relating to Online Privacy Movements
Such groups like Anonymous relate to the online movements due to their constant opposition engagement with the issue and the government. The group Anonymous engaged in blocking service to websites that complied with SOPA regulations to protest against SOPA and the United States Department of Justice. The hackers relation to movement is drawn from the freedom that the internet gives to its users. The groups who follow through with cyber attacks claim that know such regulations should be implemented due to the fact that know one government body owns the entirety of the internet. Therefore based on the assumption know government body has the right to limit a network that they do not own.
Snowden
Edwards Snowden is an American computer professional this is known for releasing details about the United States government surveillance programs in 2013. Before this event he was the systems administrator for the CIA and also worked for the NSA and DIA for computer based needs.
Since the releasing of the classified government documents that detailed their surveillance program the debate on government protection verses individual privacy comes to life more than ever. What is termed to be the Snowden Effects has many technology users thinking twice to what they use their devices for. Since the revealing of the government programs there has been a major decrease in technology use in areas such as emails, online shopping, and blogging. The Snowden effect has also brought into question what the government plains to do next in regards to using technology for their advantage. While reading the assigned material and thinking about the main points with comparing it the case of Edward Snowden, conclusion point to this idea of the internet being a free place that policy makers are trying to limit. With the illusion that the government is passing new regulations through congress to increase limitations of networks for goals of stronger national security has many questioning the real purpose behind the movement. What has many in a uproar is the fact that the internet is not owned by one entity. Therefore why should one government have the right to limit the internet resources if they don’t own what they are trying to limit.
"What’s next" is the question that the Edward Snowden case and the assigned readings are trying to bring to attention. With the government caring so much about foreign affairs why is right to try and cut off international transaction to internet users? This question has many worried whether the government is trying to form allies or make international enemies with efforts on cracking down on non-domestic websites to limit international business. Groups such as Anonymous base their arguments around these debate topics and the public is aware more than ever with the revealing of the Edward Snowden case.
Works Cited
◦Hart, Vi. (2014) Net Neutrality in the US: Now What? [1]
◦Havey, Jason (2012) A technical examination of SOPA and PROTECT IP [2]
◦Hundt, Reed (2014) Saving Privacy [3]
◦NBC News (2014) Inside the mind of Edward Snowden[4]
◦Norton, Quinn (2012) 2011: The Year Anonymous Took On Cops, Dictators and Existential Dread [5]
◦Sottek, T.C. (2013) The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act: CISPA explained [6]
◦Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia [7]
◦Zetter, Kim (2013) Reddit Cofounder Calls on Google’s Larry Page to Oppose CISPA [8]
