Reading Response 8

SOPA and Protect IP are two highly controversial bills that -- if passed -- will change the Internet as we know it.  The goal of bills like SOPA is to increase the extent that copyright laws are enforced by holding websites responsible for when user's infringe on these laws.  For example, if I was to post a copyrighted image on Facebook, Facebook would be held responsible.  As we learned from Lessing's lectures, the third major legal policy at the core of the Internet is (to paraphrase) that creators cannot be held accountable if their creation is used illegally.

These bills relate to social networking sites because sites like Facebook and Twitter are completely controlled by its users.  If SOPA was passed, Facebook would be required to ensure every image, upload, and wallpost abides by copyright laws.  Even suggesting this is absurd.  There are millions of people on Facebook and to closely regulate all of their activity would be nearly impossible.  This would require Facebook to spend millions of dollars on employees and technology to ensure no copyrighted material is hosted on their website.

Boyd and Ellison highlight an interesting aspect of Social Network Sites in their writings.  They assert that the "Social" part of SNS is the most important part.  To regulate this would to be regulate our human interaction between each other.  This is blatant censorship at the highest level.  At this point in the Age of Information, the internet should be seen no differently than any other medium, like newspapers, books, etc.  It would be like censoring a newspaper.  If we start censoring our human interactions, it is the first step to living in a completely controled Police-State.

Bills like SOPA is exactly what Lessings is talking about in his lectures.  The higher the amount of regulation on the Internet, the less innovation there is.  If companies were constantly worried about infringing on copyright laws or their users infringing on copyright laws, it would detract from their overall goal.  It is simply a waste of resources.  I could never imagine a bill like this being passed; Not only because of the damage it will do to Internet companies, but because of the damage it will do to our freedoms as Americans.