The Internet rejoiced Friday after Rep. Lamar Smith (R.-Texas) said that he would indefinitely pull the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) from consideration “until there is wider agreement on a solution.”
Smith’s announcement came two days after a web-wide blackout protest in which some of the Internet’s most popular and prominent websites censored content, calling attention to SOPA’s potentially devastating effect on Internet freedom and creativity.
Twitter users declared victory after Smith’s retreat on Friday, crediting the mass action by activists and ordinary web users alike for the change in course. While similar legislation will undoubtedly set off future rounds of contentious debate in Congress and among the public, Friday was nonetheless a moment of optimism for SOPA’s opponents on Twitter.
“SOPA Is Dead” trended nationally on the network. Politicians, digital advocates, artists, celebrities and popular parody accounts joined the celebration. Many simply expressed joy, but others emphasized the need for sustained vigilance and continued pressure on elected officials.
It was the culmination of an extended public battle over SOPA since the bill was introduced in October. GoDaddy felt the wrath of Internet users in December when it was included on a Congressional list of official SOPA supporters; the company soon reversed its position after vociferous backlash.
Support for the bill quickly eroded over the past week, and the growing momentum was regarded as a powerful example of the web’s populist reach. Then Smith’s significant backtrack on Friday signaled SOPA’s ultimate demise — at least for the foreseeable future.
What do you think about the death of SOPA as we knew it? What were your favorite tweets from Friday? Let us know in the comments.
Smith’s announcement came two days after a web-wide blackout protest in which some of the Internet’s most popular and prominent websites censored content, calling attention to SOPA’s potentially devastating effect on Internet freedom and creativity.
Twitter users declared victory after Smith’s retreat on Friday, crediting the mass action by activists and ordinary web users alike for the change in course. While similar legislation will undoubtedly set off future rounds of contentious debate in Congress and among the public, Friday was nonetheless a moment of optimism for SOPA’s opponents on Twitter.
“SOPA Is Dead” trended nationally on the network. Politicians, digital advocates, artists, celebrities and popular parody accounts joined the celebration. Many simply expressed joy, but others emphasized the need for sustained vigilance and continued pressure on elected officials.
It was the culmination of an extended public battle over SOPA since the bill was introduced in October. GoDaddy felt the wrath of Internet users in December when it was included on a Congressional list of official SOPA supporters; the company soon reversed its position after vociferous backlash.
Support for the bill quickly eroded over the past week, and the growing momentum was regarded as a powerful example of the web’s populist reach. Then Smith’s significant backtrack on Friday signaled SOPA’s ultimate demise — at least for the foreseeable future.
What do you think about the death of SOPA as we knew it? What were your favorite tweets from Friday? Let us know in the comments.
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