Censorship and the Web

Whilst I am not generally one to leap on a bandwagon, I must declare that I agree with Wikipedia on censorship and the web.

There are currently two bill going through the US Congress Pipa and Sopa.

Now you may think that what the US government does is of no concern to us here outside the States. I disagree, imagine that your 18 year old son puts some clips taken from his favourite films and uploads them to the web. No real harm in that and I would agree, however supposing the US movie company decides to make an example of the uploader and gets an American court to agree that there is a case to answer….

The first that you might know about what your son has been up to in his bedroom is when the FBI and the local police turn up to search your house and arrest your boy. Under the current UK / USA extradition treaty the “crime” does not have to be an offence here. If the US court want you son to stand trial I would not hold out much hope of the British (for example) government backing down over the treaty.

Think the above is rather unlikely then check out the story of Richard O’Dwyer a Sheffield student.

For more about Pipa and Sopa this story from CBC in Canada gives their view.