While SOPA and PIPA might be laying quietly for now, you can bet that they’ll rise again. For now, we have a couple of other targets to take down, Internet. The first, unfortunately, has been in the works since 2007. The Anti-Counterfeit Trade Agreement (ACTA) is an international treaty, of sorts, that can take away your Internet access. H.R. 1981 (PDF link), the Protecting Children from Internet Pornographers Act of 2011 (PCIC), aims to have your entire Internet history recorded, saved and used against you.
We’ll be going into deeper details on each of these pieces in the future. For now, here’s a broad overview of why they’re concerning and what you can do to start moving into action.
ACTA
The ACTA is a difficult monster to tackle. It was written in secrecy, remains largely in secret to this day and it’s not “law”, per se. Rather it’s an agreement between countries on the matter of intellectual property.
Unfortunately, like most pieces of legalese, it reaches way further than it needs to and that reaching has potentially huge problems. For instance, countries that manufacture their own, generic version of medications so that their lower-income populations can afford them could be forced to stop doing so. Get accused of infringing IP three times? That’s it, no more Internet for you. ISPs will be forced to hold you on a blacklist, preventing you from signing up for access as you normally would.
Those are just two examples, but the talk around the Internet will give you loads more information. In fact, a conference of nearly 100 IP experts from six continents agrees that the terms of ACTA “threaten numerous public interests, including every concern specifically disclaimed by negotiators.”
What can you do about it? First, educate yourself. Find out whether your country is one that has helped to craft the bill or plans to support it. Even if it isn’t, it’s worth being aware of what’s happening. Next, get writing. There aren’t many blanket protests against ACTA, as it’s flown under the radar so effectively thus far. Because of that, it’s up to each of us to get in touch with our elected representatives to make our views known.
H.R. 1981
1981 reads a bit like something from 1984, emphasis added by TNW:
“A commercial provider of an electronic communication service shall retain for a period of at least one year a log of the temporarily assigned network addresses the provider assigns to a subscriber to or customer of such service that enables the identification of the corresponding customer or subscriber information under subsection (c)(2) of this section.”
The language of the bill reads clearly because Lamar Smith (yes, the same guy who brought you SOPA) wants you to believe that you’re giving up your freedom for the children. After all, everyone will be OK with having their every move recorded and stored in the name of stopping child pornography, right? Oh, you’re not OK with that? Then clearly you’re a child pornographer.
Herein lies the problem with H.R. 1981 — Most of the bill is actually very good. It’s set up to protect children and we can all agree that’s a great cause. But in doing so it’s managed to take on the “guilty until proven innocent” perspective.
Every single one of your actions online will be monitored, whether there is just cause for doing so. The very act of obtaining an IP address will serve as just cause.
What can you do? Fortunately, protests against H.R. 1981 have gathered some steam in the past few days. Unfortunately, it’s almost too late — the bill has been set on the Union Calendar and is now being given expedited consideration. Yes, that means that it could pass Congress and be signed into law quite soon.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a quick way to protest against the bill. OpenCongress, as well, has a great discussion on the bill, including links to various Internet coverage surrounding it. If you choose to sign up for an account, you can be kept up to date with the bill as it moves or gets killed.
Finally, and most importantly, VOTE. Vote for the people who will protect you instead of protecting companies. Use the voice that you’ve been given.
The combined Internet movement against SOPA and PIPA are admirable, but each of these is simply a skirmish in a greater war. ACTA is especially concerning because it’s being done behind our backs, without a truly effective way to track the actions. At any rate, it’s not time to mobilize again, rather it’s time to keep the energy that we started with SOPA and PIPA and focus them on these two upcoming threats.
As TNW’s Alex Wilhelm said, these idiots are coming for your Internet.
wow I pay money for this internet stuff it would be like if they could put a gps in my body to check to see when I'm going to the bath room and such.
The government wants to cash in on everyones wrong doing. It's a booming buisness.
In my opinion, if the put a GPS device in our bodys, this world will slowly become the way it is in the hunger games. Where there was a big revolution in North America, and we practically start killing one another, for pleasure and pride…. Man, society IS FUCKED. (:
they can stick it were the sun does not shine i am a vietnam veteran and what the hell did i fight for this country better get there head out of there ass and start being the bigest and strongest county in the world also that goes for jobs keep jobs here in the us and be built by the us damit so get your dam act together and stop be greedest dam fool as you are and help your own people tell hell with other countrys
Uff I feel already I have a gps inside my body they can monitoring me everywhere I go even my thoughts…. I am so tired of crazys laws, what the hell is happening to those incompetents politicians at the Congress? They do not have nothing better to do?
I am doing a research online to find out where is the best place to live in this world, USA have been to sick and crazy the last decade, too much bullshit!!! USA MUST RESPECT CITIZEN PRIVACY AND LIFE.
this entire objective they have is nothing short of criminal!
if this gets passed its not going to end well for the people who forced this act upon us…. they think we will take this laying down?
I think not my friend ^_^ don't F with the nerds!
If this stuff passes I believe the USA is going to turn in to another china wow that would suck can any one say communism!!!
Lamar Smith is turning out to be quite the nazi.
agreed!
i am writing this note to grieve Sopa and Pipa. if we all do not stick together we are allowing big brother to get his way…
HAHA…Lamar Smith and company are apparently not thinking about how they’re going to screw themselves, as most Republicans and a growing number of Democrats (hell, can you still tell the difference?) will get the same (GPS) treatment and if there’s anyone who has skeletons in their closets, it’s our hypocritical closet homosexuals on Capitol Hill.
By the way, SOPA and PIPA may be gone, but I’d be more concerned about them coming back as an earmark (add-on) to some bill about granting a billion dollars for R&D on farming in Arizona. Speaking of crazy shit happening, how did Newt Gingrich win a primary in 2012 in South Carolina by preaching family values!?!??!??
Good article, but I think the word in the caption should have been "egregious" not "grievous." ;)).
HAHA…Lamar Smith and company are apparently not thinking about how they’re going to screw themselves, as most Republicans and a growing number of Democrats (hell, can you still tell the difference?) will get the same (GPS) treatment and if there’s anyone who has skeletons in their closets, it’s our hypocritical closet homosexuals on Capitol Hill.
By the way, SOPA and PIPA may be gone, but I’d be more concerned about them coming back as an earmark (add-on) to some bill about granting a billion dollars for R&D on farming in Arizona. Speaking of crazy shit happening, how did Newt Gingrich win a primary in 2012 in South Carolina by preaching family values!
I can understand wanting to protect children against child pornographers… but the cost should certainly not be our liberty or freedom…. this is not a communist nation the government has no right to invade our privacy!
What’s really needed is a constitutional amendment ensuring privacy in some way. “The right to privacy, including the monitoring or recording of an individuals actions, shall not be infringed without due process of law, to include a separate court order for EACH individual affected.”
This is such bs!! i know the govt is watching us and already know what were going to do next!! Pornagraphy is both sides of the coin. If we fight our rights, were pornagraphers. If we have pics of our OWN kids on our pc’s and they be in swimsuits, we’re pornos!! But did u know they have positions to fill for u.s. concentration camps in THIS country, all being built/remodeled by KBR inc.Halliburton. its all online and they BRAG about it. FEMA is accepting applications for those very positions as we “speak” Hmmm, wonder what those prisons are for? maybe for us”pornagraphers, or maybe because we believe in our rights and will defend them rights!! Wait, were in America, they would “never’ do that. Just start looking for the legislation and congressional funding for all that”Patriotic” funding, its all there!!
Sharing.
My concern is that anyone of the elite with an agenda gets an entire year of data to comb and potentiall use against anyone they want to target. Yes, some of “them” are out to get you (if you get out of line, of course.) Oy.
100% correct. Bring it on. Besides….I think politicians are seriously underestimating hackers….They B CRazY!!!
Times are rough. We did not let them put gps devices under our skin… so they put them in our phones. Texting is pretty much public information (this was announce on Portland, OR televised news). Moving away will not make things better. Fixing our freedoms starts right here. The only way to make our “living situation” better is to work together. Many say our votes don’t count… most proclaimers don’t even vote. Be a part of your local government. Town hall meetings change laws by raise of hands. If there are only four people there… they are the only votes that count.
Things are definately out of hand. We need to be informed and work together with clear minds.