Wikipedia, Google Participate in Anti-SOPA Internet Blackout

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its sister act Protect IP Act (PIPA) have been the center of heated debates all over the Internet. And today is the day the Internet fights backs.

Today, thousands of sites are participating in an Internet-wide "blackout." All over the web, sites are either going offline completely or censoring their content in protest of SOPA and PIPA. For example, popular encyclopedia site Wikipedia has "gone dark" for 24 hours. Reddit will also be participating in the blackout, going offline for 12 hours starting at 7 AM central time today. Blogging website WordPress is also part of the protest, censoring virtually all of its content on its home page. Even Google is taking part in the blackout, replacing its usual logo with a giant black bar.

This is not just a protest, this is a call to action. These sites aren't just protesting because they don't like SOPA and PIPA. Most of these sites are providing links with information on SOPA and PIPA, and encouraging users to contact their local representatives and drum up support against the acts. The purpose of these protests are to create awareness for SOPA and how dangerous it is for the Internet, and that is a cause I can get behind.