Reddit Plans Black Out on Jan 18 to Protest PIPA/SOPA Legislation

Posted on January 10, 2012

Reddit has announced it will black out its regular content on January 18th from 8am to 8pm to protest the PIPA/SOPA legislation. Reddit has created a little Braveheart inspired figure to lead the charge.

There is widespread concern - including from Internet inventors, founders and engineers (see here) - that bills like SOPA could be used as a means of Internet censorship.

Reddit says it will display a simple message about how PIPA/SOPA legislation is wrong for the Internet.

Instead of the normal glorious, user-curated chaos of reddit, we will be displaying a simple message about how the PIPA/SOPA legislation would shut down sites like reddit, link to resources to learn more, and suggest ways to take action. We will showcase the live video stream of the House hearing where Internet entrepreneurs and technical experts (including reddit co-founder Alexis "kn0thing" Ohanian) will be testifying. We will also spotlight community initiatives like meetups to visit Congressional offices, campaigns to contact companies supporting PIPA/SOPA, and other tactics.

Reddit says there is new hope the legislation can be defeated. The delay of the bill last month is certainly helping knowledge of the bill's dangers spread online. Reddit says, "There are powerful forces trying to censor the Internet, and a few months ago many people thought this legislation would surely pass. However, there�s a new hope that we can defeat this dangerous legislation."