!"#$$%&'()*&'+,#-.(/0*120%."(/%00.(!

345(*&6(4745(

The !"#$%&'()'*%+),-./%0." (S0PA, B.R. S261) anu the +,#"*."%1+%0."%(PIPA, S. 968)
aie contioveisial "piiacy" bills being uebateu in the Bouse of Repiesentatives anu
Senate, iespectively. Suppoiteis claim the bills taiget "iogue" foieign websites that
encouiage online infiingement, but theii ieal effect woulu be to slow uown job-
cieating tech innovations at home anu cieate uevastating new tools foi silencing
legitimate speech all aiounu the web.

In spite of histoiic opposition fiom a uiveise coalition incluuing civil libeities anu
human iights oiganizations, tech inuustiy leaueis, secuiity expeits, legal scholais, a
bipaitisan gioup of legislatois, anu many moie, the bills aie moving quickly thiough
Congiess, fueleu by massive infusions of cash fiom big content companies.

Counteiing the $94 million the content inuustiy has spent in lobbying money won't
be easy, but legislatois in Congiess neeu to know that these bills aie not ieauy foi
piime time.

! 23*%4(-.5()6"%4)((6 -,*%*7$*'6)8*. The Congiessional Buuget 0ffice has
estimateu that PIPA alone woulu cost taxpayeis at least $47 million ovei S
yeais, anu coulu cost the piivate sectoi many times moie. Those costs woulu
be caiiieu mostly by the tech inuustiy, hampeiing giowth anu innovation.

! 23*%4(-.5()6"%4)((6%6)(*'.*%(*9)"):-"*%6$**.3;%Rightsholueis, ISPs, oi the
goveinment coulu shut uown sites with accusations of infiingement, anu
without ieal uue piocess.

! 23*%4(-.5()6"%4)((6%-,*%4-<%=#,%"3*%-,.3)"*.">,*%#=%"3*%1'"*,'*"; But uon't
take oui woiu foi it: see the open letteis that uozens of the Inteinet's
conceineu cieatois have submitteu to Congiess about the impact the bills
woulu have on the secuiity of the web.%

! 23*%4(-.5()6"%4)((6%?#'@"%6"#$%#'()'*%$),-./;%The tools these bills woulu
giant iightsholueis aie like chainsaws in an opeiating ioom: they uo a lot of
uamage, anu they aien't veiy effective in the fiist place. The filteiing methous
might uissuaue casual useis, but they woulu be tiivial foi ueuicateu anu
technically savvy useis to ciicumvent.

Theie aie plenty moie ieasons why these blacklist bills aie bau news foi the futuie
of the Inteinet: they woulu unueimine human iights effoits, inteifeie with
impoitant Inteinet secuiity initiatives, anu balkanize the Inteinet. Foi moie
infoimation on these uangeis, finu oui ongoing coveiage of the bill at
https:www.eff.oig.