SOPA/PIPA reinvented (OPEN, ACTA, etc.)

[Drex]

Don't they already monitor that stuff? One of the first times I pirated shit I got an email from my ISP demanding I never do it again or my service could be throttled/cut off, and nothing ever came of it. It's really impractical for them to police the internet, especially without the government backing them, and the government won't back them with public opinion so strongly slanted against it.

[Mazmaz]

Probably the most cancerous of attitudes is "lol nothing like that is going to happen. we don't need to worry about this or do anything about it"
I honestly hate ignorant people like that.

[hey]

Don't they already monitor that stuff? One of the first times I pirated shit I got an email from my ISP demanding I never do it again or my service could be throttled/cut off, and nothing ever came of it. It's really impractical for them to police the internet, especially without the government backing them, and the government won't back them with public opinion so strongly slanted against it.

The ISPs don't, others do. Anyone can see what you torrent.

[Apelila]

The ISPs don't, others do. Anyone can see what you torrent.

Anyone with the tracker can see the torrent.

[Ragnus]

How well would things like Peerblock work against this? I have it on pretty much all of the computers in my house.

[hey]

How well would things like Peerblock work against this? I have it on pretty much all of the computers in my house.

You can't block your isp.

[Ragnus]

Well, crap. How hard is it to set up one of those VPNs? How does that protect you anyway? =/

[hey]

Well, crap. How hard is it to set up one of those VPNs? How does that protect you anyway? =/

It's pretty simple, but not free. It runs all of your traffic through another server, so the outside world will only see the VPN's IP instead of yours.

[Ragnus]

Oh okay. So how does that prevent ISPs from pulling their crap when they still see the VPN's IP accessing things through the service?

[hey]

Oh okay. So how does that prevent ISPs from pulling their crap when they still see the VPN's IP accessing things through the service?

The only thing your ISP would be able to monitor is the data sent between you and your VPN. Fortunately this data will all be encrypted, so they cannot determine what it is.

[Silenka]

Time for internet users who are against this kind of thing to create their own ISP and figure out an ingenious way of distributing it to like-minded citizens.

[hey]

Time for internet users who are against this kind of thing to create their own ISP and figure out an ingenious way of distributing it to like-minded citizens.

have fun with that.

[MaachaQ]

Related to the SOPA stuff, even though not directly; Arizona is trying to make trolling criminal:
http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/t...cid=todmsnbc11

Arizona law would censor the Internet

State of Arizona

The state of Arizona could find itself in the company of countries like China and Syria for censoring the Internet if the state's governor signs a bill recently passed by the legislature.

Arizona House Bill 2549, which is now on Gov. Jan Brewer's desk for signature, was created to counter bullying and stalking. The law would make it a crime to use any electronic or digital device to communicate using "obscene, lewd or profane language" or to suggest a lewd or lascivious act, if done with the intent to "terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy or offend."

First Amendment rights group Media Coalition, which represents the Motion Picture Association of America, the Recording Industry Association of America, the Association of American Publishers and other related groups, says the bill is not only a violation of the First Amendment, but is so far-ranging as to be preposterous.

In a letter to the governor, the coalition said while government can criminalize speech "that rises to the level of harassment, and many states have laws that do so," Arizona's legislation:

... takes a law meant to address irritating phone calls and applies it to communication on web sites, blogs, listserves and other Internet communication. H.B. 2549 is not limited to a one to one conversation between two specific people. The communication does not need to be repetitive or even unwanted. There is no requirement that the recipient or subject of the speech actually feel offended, annoyed or scared. Nor does the legislation make clear that the communication must be intended to offend or annoy the reader, the subject or even any specific person.

This bill isn't the first the legislature has tackled when it comes to regulating what's said -- or seen -- electronically. Another, Senate Bill 1219, would let parents see the text messages on the phones of their children, if they're under the age of 18. That legislation remains in committee.

H.B. 2549 "would apply to the Internet as a whole, thus criminalizing all manner of writing, cartoons, and other protected material the state finds offensive or annoying," Media Coalition says on its website -- at least for now, until what it says is found to be offensive or annoying by those in Arizona.

[Apelila]

Sure I moved to Texas. But at least I got the hell out of Arizona.

[hey]

Being annoying, a crime? Well fuck, may as well just throw everyone with an internet connection in jail.

[Kaisha]

B-b-b-b-but the first ammendment!

[Drex]

B-b-b-b-but the first ammendment!

your freedoms end where my feelings begin

[aru]

I can understand "terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass", but "annoy or offend"? Really?

[Lucavi]

The "annoy or offend" clause is to make mocking or talking against Christianity an punishable offense. This ranks pretty high with China. Should we start calling Arizona "The People's Republic" as well?

[Qalbert]

That might annoy or offend them.