The Downfall of the Free Internet Topic - SOPA back as CISPA

[CarThief]

Now before you might shout "duplicate tread!", this one is made for roughly all the things that are going on lately that are reducing our abilities, freedom, or enjoyment, such as the SOPA, PIPA and whatever bills, and other related actions such as what happened to Megaupload, and so on.

And considering the previous one was locked, im personally thinking a general topic for all these things should work out, as a general topic would probaly be better suited to this then cramming it all in the SOPA topic, and i suppose it doesnt need to be unlocked in case this one is more or less approved.

Now for the actual subject i found; It would seem various upload sites are bracing themselves for impact, while unclear i heard Megaupload's owner got jailed, too. Here's a list i found in one of the posts on the topic linked below:

(click to show/hide)

List of Closed or Disabled File Sharing Sites

    Megaupload Closed - Owner get Jailed

    Wupload is Smart Early Closed its Affiliate Program

    Fileserve removed it's affiliate page, because USA/FBI thinks that a legal part of their TOS is not enough to protect them, where users are responsible for their own content, and not filehost itself. Also, their thread disappeared from WJunction.

    FileJungle Deleting Massive Files and still not paying its affiliates (Same Owner of Fileserve)

    Uploadstation Same Owner of Fileserve and same as Filejungle

    Filesonic closes it's affiliate program (You can no longer download files unless you own them)

    VideoBB closed it's affiliate program.

    Filepost started suspending accounts with infringing material and not yet paying members

    Uploaded.to not available in U.S. anymore Banned US IP

    Videozer - No affiliate/make money page

    EnterUpload Redirecting to Luxury.Net

    However, the world's second largest file sharing website Rapishare said in a recent interview that "File hosting itself is a legitimate business." and that "We're not concerned or scared about the raid". So far, SendSpace and MediaFire haven't made any move regarding this matter either

[/size]
Pretty much found it all on this topic, seems accurate:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/ ... gin?page=1

It seems SOPA or no SOPA, they're shutting down well-liked internet sites here and there, or so people expect them to do, soon.

Edit: This seems to be a more in-depth version of the list on its own page.
http://tumichael.com/internet-marketing ... es-closed/

[Mr. X]

Megaupload was the only one shut down by the government.  The rest have chosen to shut down their services out of fear of a raid, so the "they" you're referring to for the rest of the sites are the owners themselves.

[NemZ]

What a fine list of cowards.

Megaupload is reasonably likely to win this fight and quite possibly a countersuit for defamation.  Regardless of what most of it's users actually do with the service it has legitimate uses that require privacy, and as long as megaupload was diligent in killing links reported for infringing use there's really no case to build here.  Without the bullshit provisions of SOPA there are no grounds for holding them responsible for users' actions that were in conflict with the listed terms of use.

[Joseph Collins]

I'll be blunt.  I'd be pissed -- unsurprised, bit pissed -- if MediaFire suddenly closed its doors.  However, according to this article, that fortunately doesn't seem like it's going to happen.  Also, this article -- or rather the CED of MediaFile goes on-record in this article in saying that Megaupload was "shady" and that the vast amount of profits they gained despite their lackluster service was ridiculous.  Derek Labian really kind of tears into them, actually...

[CarThief]

Well here's something interesting i just read, quoting from the first post's quote of the first link:

It's their solution that appalls me: under language approved 19 to 10 by a House committee, the firm that sells you Internet access would be required to track all of your Internet activity and save it for 18 months, along with your name, the address where you live, your bank account numbers, your credit card numbers, and IP addresses you've been assigned.

    Tracking the private daily behavior of everyone in order to help catch a small number of child criminals is itself the noxious practice of police states. Said an attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation: "The data retention mandate in this bill would treat every Internet user like a criminal and threaten the online privacy and free speech rights of every American." Even more troubling is what the government would need to do in order to access this trove of private information: ask for it.
    As written, The Protecting Children from Internet Pornographers Act of 2011 doesn't require that someone be under investigation on child pornography charges in order for police to access their Internet history - being suspected of any crime is enough. (It may even be made available in civil matters like divorce trials or child custody battles.) Nor do police need probable cause to search this information. As Rep. James Sensenbrenner says, (R-Wisc.) "It poses numerous risks that well outweigh any benefits, and I'm not convinced it will contribute in a significant way to protecting children."

I'd rather not have my internet activity logged in such in-depth, this one's about as bad as SOPA, minus the removal of freedom, maybe.

The forum post on Escapist:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/ ... rs-HR-1981
The News post related to it:
http://www.examiner.com/civil-rights-in ... good-right

What happened to good ol let the parents check up on what their children are doing? How hard can that be?
Hm, and all that loose financial information seems worrying too, though im pretty sure a main interest in many is just keeping their private browsing private.
Most dont think it will pass though, its worse of an rights infringement then SOPA or PIPA was! Not suprisingly its led or something by the same guy that tried to realize SOPA, where do they hire these people?

In short; i wouldnt be too worried though, so far. It being worse for one's rights then SOPA probaly discourages most from supporting it, once they read it. Some do note that such an title for the bill was purely in an attemp so they can make it pass (more easily?).

[Myroc]

It's an even more orwellian law than SOPA was, with a hastily thrown together veil of "for the sake of the children" wrapped around it, so the less educated person will think you're a some kind of pedophilic monster for opposing it. Slightly clever coming from an american politician, but the fact that attempts forcing through acts like this under the cover of such bullshit excuses is one of many clear examples of what's wrong with american politics. Hell, politics in general, though for some reason this seems to be more prevalent in the USA than other nations.

[CarThief]

Speaking of SOPA (and PIPA), i bumped into like, the second part of that particular guy's video who goes on about companies doing this to get control and money.
At this point it seems fairly believable, if you consider that they declined ANY positive change to SOPA and PIPA(?) while it was processing, they simply HAD to have it in its current, control-everything state.

He goes on a bit about the same subject but a simple explanation/version: Big companies spends money on getting software that downloads files, companies give it away to everyone like free candy, companies complain to the government that all their content is being pirated, and it is, because, they destributed it so they would have a reason to complain to the government to get power (and thus, money, i presume).

Its a pretty simple and dirty tactic, like one kid damaging their clothes and telling their mother the other kid pushed them into something, getting the other kid punished or something. In its simplest form.
I dont think i can ever respect any of the big american companies if they try shit like this to get even MORE.

Oh, and apparently he is asking everyone in the UK or so to request some responsible guy named Redstone to be brought to the UK and put on trial for apparently causing all this file sharing. Could have gotten the name wrong though.
The world is only turning for the worse, huh... They desperately want to control the final piece of complete freedom and enjoyment, the Internet.

Edit: The imprisonments that will probaly happen, would any or both of these pass, arent quite good either i hear, of all things they get sent to US prisons, instead of their homeland's prisons. Probaly to strike fear into the general populace, but it could happen to anyone, for (sometimes legal, depending on country) small things. Doesnt help the US probaly has the worst prisons, regarding personal safety.

[fortegigasgospel]

[CarThief]

Hm, technically, i suppose the whole money factor of his crime outweighed simple murder of the other's. Though i suppose it still is quite... Wow...

Speaking of megaupload, the same guy had more to say, bumped into that video right after posting the one above. I will not explain the contents, you HAVE to see it for yourself, its horrible, truly horrible, if he is speaking the truth... And possibly atleast 50% of the users on this forum can be affected by it legally, too!

(click to show/hide)

Hm, no idea if the damn thing actually works though, as it added extra junk to the URL bar. If so try below.
Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tD1yaE0 ... ure=relmfu

At one point you'd think he is some crazy person, though seeing the whole SOPA thing and hearing of various heartless lawsuits, he's probaly right about companies actually doing this...

Edit: OK now this guy is being somewhat crazy but i suppose this isnt off-topic anyway, he's not making Obama look very good in this video, i suppose. Its rather short though, and there's no long lecturing in it, just, uh, news articles, and decent music.

(click to show/hide)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai2ra0Hw ... ure=relmfu

Perhaps its like that one youtube comment on that video; the end of the world will not be the total end, but merely the destruction of our spirit and freedom.

[Mr. X]

Question:  What makes a random YouTube video more reliable than the Government again?  I'm pretty sure I can make a YouTube video right now saying there's mind control chips in all of our food but that doesn't make it true.  It COULD be but there's no proof.

As for the image two posts above, he hasn't been sentenced yet.  The maximum possible sentence is 50 years but he could get less (and probably should).

[CarThief]

Cant speak for sure about the second one in the second post, though the guy does seem to try hard to find online evidence and whatnot. Given these times, the SOPA bill threatening to destroy the Internet, and secret agreements passing such as ACTA,  cant say the government is looking too trustworthy without explaining its actions.

And whenever a company is involved, one can bet their ass they will ruthlessly persue the path that gives most money, dominion of the Internet in this case. Quite a powerfull media outlet.
And the previously mentioned overly suspicions refusal to amend the bills.

Eh, each their own in the end though. That megaupload video seems quite worrying though, they technically could jail the majority or fine them very highly with the information found. They didnt care for arresting and relocating another citizen's country either, companies got enough money to inspire more such actions would they need to scare the general public into submission.
Still glad i dont live there.

[Turbodude]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505244_162- ... -protests/

Ladies and gentlemen; unless the EU Parliament opposes this once and for all (which at this rate is unlikely), the internet's pretty much done for.

[CarThief]

Meh, if not SOPA then ACTA huh. Doubt anyone knows a ideal spot to do something about it like giving a signature on some NO petition. But given it being conspirated in secret and just thrown onto the general populace just like that, what ARE the chances even if 51% or more of every's country population said no?

Why the hell would the Eerste Kamer and Tweede Kamer groups assigned to debate over law and bills even let this happen, or whatever they exactly do, this is one of those things.
I thought higher of them, are they truly this blind? This bill is just to impose Hollywood's rules onto everyone, and given their merciless lawyers... (See the links in the video about RIAA, they sue children and dead people (or their offsprings), for crying out loud!)

Sometimes i wish every country participated in missile bombing US government's buildings. Sure, it would cause another world war, but they'll cause one at this rate. Either that or all the entertainment industries that supported this crap.
Just hope it wont pass here, but given the chances, i think i'll just waste some of my birthday money on private browsing software at this rate, if anyone knows any good ones that last a lifetime (and several computers).

[Mr. X]

Rather than running around, screaming about the end of the world, educate yourself with what exactly ACTA is doing.
http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/or8ag/ive_read_the_final_version_of_acta_heres_what_you/

Instead of going absolutely insane based on complete guessing and spouting a long line of nonsense, how about you read?  Or is reading a giant government conspiracy too?

BTW, ACTA was a pact involving the EU too, so looks like you should be nuking your own country too.

[CarThief]

Hm, thats probaly the only article on what it is, im guessing most people expect the worst when kept in the dark. It does note the potential for abuse, i still dont trust those money-obsessed entertainment industry companies with that. Or whoever is going to call the shots. If they do, we're screwed anyway, i guess.

I seriously hope they arent going to play a big role in deciding the rules of the pact. I do wonder who will, though.

Edit: Rumors go about of another thing, similar to acta, but worse? Hard to say with the lack of documents or people to summarize them, though there's only one path onwards, and that is more and more and more cencorship. Once it starts it wont stop.

News article:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/201101 ... ment.shtml
This website was linked too but i cant make out what particular use it has nor can i find decent data from it: http://www.ustr.gov/tpp
Some call it the offspring of ACTA, or ACTA V2.