No less than the head of the world’s biggest social networking site has joined the opposition against pending bills in the United States that several groups said may censor the Internet.
Mark Zuckerberg said the Internet is the most powerful tool for an open and connected world, and should not be curbed because of “poorly thought-out laws.”
“The Internet is the most powerful tool we have for creating a more open and connected world. We can’t let poorly thought out laws get in the way of the internet’s development,” Zuckerberg said in a post on his Facebook account.
He added Facebook, which has 800 million members, opposes the US Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect-IP Act (PIPA), and will “continue to oppose any laws that will hurt the Internet.”
Zuckerberg said Facebook has been working with political leaders who are pro-Internet on “better alternatives to these current proposals.”
“I encourage you to learn more about these issues and tell your congressmen that you want them to be pro-Internet,” he said.
As of 7.58 a.m. Manila time, Zuckerberg’s post had gained 373,369 likes and was shared 72,412 times.
Facebook said that while it takes online piracy and copyright infringement very seriously, it believes SOPA and PIPA “are not the right solution to this problem, because of the collateral damage these overreaching bills would cause to the Internet.”
“PROTECT IP and SOPA could create very real problems for Internet companies like ours that are a primary driver of innovation, growth, and job creation in the 21st century economy. The bills contain overly broad definitions and create a new private cause of action against companies on the basis of those expansive definitions, which could seriously hamper the innovation, growth, and investment in new companies that have been the hallmarks of the Internet,” it said.
Also, it voiced concern about provisions in the bills that could chill free expression or weaken the Internet’s architecture.
“We understand the concerns of the film and music industries, as well as other content creators and trademark owners, and we have been engaging in a constructive dialogue on the most effective ways to combat piracy. However, we must ensure that Congress does not do anything in this area that threatens the security of the Internet, hampers U.S. innovation or competitiveness, or sets harmful precedents for other governments to follow. We ask Congress not to rush this process. It’s too important not to take the time to get it right,” it said.
Facebook said it responds promptly whenever it is made aware of illegal content on its site.
It has a reporting system in place and a trained team dedicated to handling rights owner notices. — RSJ, GMA News
source: gmanetwork.com
