SUPPORT. Wikipedia. San Francisco - Online encyclopaedia Wikipedia will shut down its English language site on Wednesday for 24 hours to protest at proposed anti-piracy legislation in the US.
The unprecedented move comes in reaction to two bills making their way through the US houses of Congress, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA). Critics of the legislation maintain that they would limit free speech and give content owners draconian powers to shut down websites implicated in piracy, even if they merely provide links to copyrighted content. "This is an extraordinary action for our community to take," Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said on Tuesday. "While we regret having to prevent the world from having access to Wikipedia for even a second, we simply cannot ignore the fact that SOPA and PIPA endanger free speech both in the United States and abroad, and set a frightening precedent of internet censorship for the world. " The White House has indicated it opposes the legislation.
Interviews Sue Gardner on Wikipedia blackout. Wednesday, January 18, 2012 Related stories More information on Wikimedia Foundation.
