motherhood, apple pie, and surveillance

BIPARTISAN OPPOSITION BUILDING TO BILLS FOR POLICE-STATE INTERNET CONTROL
Two bills now before the House and the Senate, SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act, H.R. 3261) and PIPA (Protect IP Act, S. 968), purport to be aimed at preventing unauthorized use of copyrighted material by foreign websites. 

But they have raised a storm of protests from across the political spectrum, with some opponents rightly pointing out that they are part of a broader dictatorial drive underway in the United States, including the infamous NDAA bill.

SOPA, Connor Adams Sheets wrote in the {International Business Times}, "is not aimed at shutting down piracy; it's aimed at shutting down [various websites]... whenever they're being used by people who want to bring about change. 

Certain provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act have a similar purpose at heart. 

They are ostensibly aimed at al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups... [but it will] allow the government to arrest those who loudly disagree with it."

Even {Politico} had to admit that "there are some real fears: Legislating new powers to law enforcement and rights holders could lead to the development of new, blunter Internet `blocking' tools to use on foreign websites {suspected} [emphasis added] of infringing copyright--censoring what U.S. users see and access online.''

Among the sanctions the DOJ and rights holders could seek under the bills are court orders that allow the blocking of Web addresses--or Internet domain names--of ``infringing'' sites.

``U.S. citizens are going to get a different version of the Internet just like Chinese citizens do,'' said Corynne McSherry of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

One source says the House bill may be voted on as early as this week.