As you probably already know, a number of websites have gone silent today in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act currently being considered by Congress and the Senate’s similarly controversial Protect IP Act. And while Google, which has previously voiced its opposition to both pieces of legislation, didn’t shut down for the day, it is making its feelings known to the public.
In addition to slapping a black bar over the Google logo on its homepage, the Internet titan has posted the above infographic to show the vast number and variety of people who have come out against SOPA and PIPA.
Since the text is more than a bit hard to read at this size, we’ve summarized the info below — or you can either click here to see the full-size PDF. You can also add your name to the petition there and read more about the two bills.
Here are the numbers Google has for opponents to SOPA and PIPA:
1 — Vint Cerf, one of the founding fathers of the Internet, opposed SOPA in an open letter to Congress.
5 — Internet security experts (Steve Crocker, David Dagon, Dan Kaminsky, Danny McPherson, Paul Vixie) issued a white paper raising serious concerns about the technical approach of PIPA.
9 — Internet and technology companies (including AOL, eBay, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Firefox, LinkedIn, Zynga) sent an open letter opposing the bills and the risks posed to innovation and job creation.
17 — Internet company founders (including Arianna Huffington, Craig Newmark, Jimmy Wales and Sergey Brin) sent an open letter opposing SOPA and PIPA.
39 — Advocacy and public interest organizations (including the ACLU, MoveOn and Consumers Union) voiced their opposition.
41 — Human organizations, including the Center for Media Justice and Reporters Without Borders, sent a letter to express concern for the bills’ civil and human rights implications.
55 — Leading venture capitalists issued a letter expressing concerns that PIPA “would stifle investment in Internet services, throttle innovation and hurt American competitiveness.”
110 — Law professors sent a letter expressing “serious constitutional, innovation, and foreign policy concerns.”
204 — Entrepreneurs sent a letter expressing concern that PIPA and SOPA would “hurt economic growth and chill innovation.”
113,000+ — People have petitioned the White House to oppose SOPA and PIPA. The White House issued a commitment to “not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative, global Internet.”
887,000+ — members of the American public called Congress to voice their opposition through AmericanCensorship.org.
3,000,000+ – Americans voice their opposition by signing petitions.
More From Consumerist
-
Congressman: Maybe The Government Shouldn’t Propose New Internet Regulations For 2 Years
-
Report: Google & Yahoo May Be BFFs With Hollywood, But Both Place Ads On Piracy Sites
-
Has Victoria’s Secret Already Pulled Controversial Teen-Targeted Collection?
-
Worst Company In America Round 1: Google Vs. Facebook
-
Walmart Consultant Caught On Camera Bad-Mouthing Town Council
Still going to pass.
Because Congress is already bought and paid for.
And yet people still reelect the same cronies election after election.
Because said cronies make enough money to shut out opposition.
pick your favorite reason. they all work.
Good point, I mean we could be at this for months.
And people say “There’s something wrong with everyone in Congress…except for my congress-person.”
That’s how Congress can have 80% incumbents get re-elected. We’ve got exactly the government we deserve.
I won’t argue there, and the football mentality of “my side does no wrong, it’s all their fault” doesn’t help”
The other guy who doesn’t get elected isn’t any different. It costs over $400,000 to get elected according to a statistic published in 2005. You think he paid for that himself? Or raised enough public funds for that? Nope. Bought and paid for before he was even elected.
There’s more than one “other” guy.
The only wasted vote is a vote for a Republitard or Democunt.
I make my own Congress at home.
Doesn’t mean we have to keep quiet about it.
Don’t think this is settled matter. Many laws, bought and paid for, have been dumped when the backlash and spotlight is too great. Especially in an election year. Especially when the law can be used to claim supporters oppose job creation.
It may pass the house.. but it will most likely get sent back by the pres, or veto’d.. at least that is the opinion people are coming to based on the white house press release this past weekend..
Well, I make my own Internet at home . . . .
3 million signatures! That is 1% of EVERY AMERICAN! Remember, not everyone is on the web yet. Those of just the ones who actually responded! There are many more who are sympathetic!
The question I would ask is how many real people (not Corporate people) actively support these bills? How may that do not have a significant stake in the results these bills are designed to produce? I am betting on very few who understand the issue and are independent of financial influence.
Doesn’t matter in the end. Corporations and their lobbyists always win, the people always lose. Get used to it.
Get off your couch and change that.
It sounds like Psychotronic is telling you that he/she is part of – or identifies with – the Corporations and Lobbyists who always win and that you, as “the people,” should accept it as fact.
Most recently the AT&T/T-Mobile merger failed. So it’s incorrect to make a sweeping argument like yours – when any one single example can make it false.
“Oh, woe is me, I am a huge baby and I can’t be assed to contribute even a modicum of effort to something important. Instead I’m just going to try and look all hip by being snarky.” Good job guys!
whats sopa ?
It’s spanish for Soup.
Congress doesn’t care. They know they’re not getting re-elected anyway, due to that 14% or whatever approval rating, so they’re lining their pockets with as much special interest money as possible on the way out.
Congress couldn’t care less about today’s black out because they are not in session. They are too busy enjoying their vacations to exotic get aways paid for by lobbyist
Partly be lobbyists and partly my the taxpayers.
http://sopablackout.org/learnmore/
talk about turning a blind eye and having a deaf ear.
Comrades! Let us flood their freakin’ phone line again today! To Arms!
P.S. I love how White House is weaseling out with that statement. God only know what their definition of “not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative, global Internet” really means. Usually that means who pays more then who’s the one not proposing legislation that reduces freedom of expr… you get my picture.
How many bills have been “reluctantly signed” or “signed with serious reservations”?
Obama’s contributors are already turning the screws on him.
http://www.deadline.com/2012/01/exclusive-hollywood-moguls-stopping-obama-donations-because-of-administrations-piracy-stand/