Online encyclopedia Wikipedia has shut down its English language website to protest against anti-piracy legislation facing the US Congress.
The foundation behind the popular community-based encyclopedia said in a statement the dramatic 24-hour action would be taken because of serious concerns about the impact of the proposed laws on the concept of a free internet.
The unprecedented move brings added muscle to a growing base of critics of the legislation. Wikipedia is one of the internet’s most popular websites, with about 30 million visitors daily.
“If passed, this legislation will harm the free and open internet and bring about new tools for censorship of international websites inside the United States,” the Wikimedia foundation said.
The Stop Online Piracy Act in the US House of Representatives and the Protect Intellectual Property Act under consideration in the Senate are designed to crack down on sales of pirated US products overseas.
Supporters include the film and music industry, which often sees its products sold illegally. They say the legislation is needed to protect intellectual property and jobs.
Critics say the legislation could hurt the technology industry and infringe on free-speech rights. Among their concerns are provisions that would weaken cyber-security for companies and hinder domain access rights.
The most controversial provision is in the House bill, which would have enabled federal authorities to “blacklist” sites that are alleged to distribute pirated content. That would essentially cut off portions of the internet to all US users. But congressional leaders appear to be backing off this provision.
Tech companies such as Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter, eBay, AOL and others have spoken out against the legislation and said it threatens the industry’s livelihood. Several online communities such as Reddit, Boing Boing and others have gone dark in protest as well.
Google has added a protest link to its homepage in support of the cause.
The Obama administration also raised concerns about the legislation over the weekend and said it will work with congress on legislation to help battle piracy and counterfeiting while defending free expression, privacy, security and innovation in the internet.
