Controversial YouTube user AnonymousVoice777 has made a video threatening to target the servers hosting Facebook, Twitter and more in light of Congress’ recent closure of Megaupload.com.

Less than 72 hours after the closure of popular file-sharing website Megaupload, YouTube user AnonymousVoice777 has posted a video in which threats are made to the security of social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as to corporate companies and even the United Nations. The video’s narrator, using the guise of a voice modulator, dictates that:

“We are prepared to unleash a full-scale global blackout of these websites … if Megaupload is not reinstated to the Internet. We have access to banking and credit card information of millions of citizens … to those who support SOPA … you have been warned.”

The video closes with the voice declaring:

“We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.”

The claims made here are as of yet unsubstantiated, but the video has become a viral sensation since it was first posted on January 19th, so far attracting close to half a million hits while AnonymousVoice777’s YouTube channel has amassed over 2,000 subscribers. There is no indication that the threats made here will indeed amount to anything in execution, however, the popularity of the video suggests that public opposition to the highly-contested SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) bills is as strong as ever.

These bills, which seek to make amendments to the current rules and monitoring of copyright piracy, have so far been stalled after House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith postponed the vote “until there is wider agreement on a solution.” Nevertheless, supporters of AnonymousVoice777 appear eager to continue in their protests of the bills before any such vote can be carried out, with one further video appearing on late Monday (January 23rd) with information on how the public can get involved with this alleged multi-platform blackout.

The gargled narrator repeats its earlier declaration and provides an in-depth breakdown of how this blackout would take place on its scheduled date of January 28th.

AnonymousVoice777’s identity remains unknown, however, the possibility of it being a title adopted by unconnected opposers to SOPA and PIPA has been raised after Senator Chuck Grassley’s Twitter account was hacked by a figure urging Grassley’s followers:

“Dear Iowans, vote against ACTA, SOPA, and PIPA because this man, Chuck Grassley wants YOUR Internet censored and all of that BS.”

These tweets have since been deleted and no reference to the hacking was made in AnonymousVoice777’s latest YouTube video, thus, the uncertainty over the user’s true identity has only served to strengthen public interest in these proposed acts of protests; whether or not anything will come of these allegation remains to be seen.

Rob Kints / Shutterstock.com

The article ‘Anonymous’ Threatens Social Media Shutdown appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

As Google, Wikipedia and other Internet titans staged a worldwide online protest of the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act, (“SOPA”), RogueFinder LLC, a New York City-based software company, has announced that it is developing software that will connect “rogue websites” by hunting for clues hidden within computer code and domain name ownership records.

Rogue websites offer seemingly great deals on clothing, music, software and video games, but are actually unauthorized by the copyright and brand owners.  These websites mimic legitimate channels of trade to sell counterfeits and even steal identities.  Reports show that most rogue sites are operated overseas.

According to RogueFinder’s CEO, Joseph C. Gioconda, the software will analyze billions of pieces of data mined from the websites, as well as Internet registries, registrars, web hosts and servers, to seek clues to who created and is actually operating the sites.

According to Gioconda, who has successfully shut down hundreds of rogue websites as an Intellectual Property lawyer for major brands, “this data forms a reliable digital fingerprint that lawyers and law enforcement can use as admissible evidence in court enforcing existing laws.”

The article RogueFinder Develops New Software to Target Rogue Sites appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Today is (allegedly) the day the internet strikes. Tried going on Reddit? Wanted to look up something on Wikipedia? Tough luck, both sites are blacked out with notification of their cause and a call to action. The ploy? To raise awareness of two highly inflammatory bills, currently nesting in the U.S. Congress – the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP, also known as SOPA and PIPA.

Now, I wrote allegedly for a reason. You can still enter your Facebook without incident, and Google still provides its services (albeit, shyly promoting its position in a link below the search box). The strike of the internet is not as “striking” (pun intended) as you would think. It is a shame because the issue is real; America is one poorly conceived bill away from firewalling themselves in from the rest of the world.

As previously reported on Toonari Post, the origins of this mess is the sad story of greed, suspicion, and an old man with a toupee.

Focusing on the main antagonist, the entertainment industry wants death to online piracy and sure, it is a relatable cause; big or small, it is not cool to see others take credit or revenue for your work. However, you should acknowledge that the accusation of greediness goes both ways – the pirates make money off of content they stole, just as much as the rich entertainment industry is all about profit; some possibly beyond their dues (George Lucas being an excellent example – how much Star Wars re-release can one world take?). Even old man Lamar, the guy who set everything on fire, has probably enjoyed a gift basket or two from Hollywood.

There are people who have fought back claims that SOPA and PIPA should be of any concern to internet users outside the U.S. ‘It’s a national matter,’ they say while also denying that the consequences of online communities will be as diabolical as anticipated (there are real concerns about freedom of speech, innovation, and security involved, which I have not included here). However, I disagree. How much American media content do you think is blasted through mainstream media in countries outside of the USA? How much foreign media content do Americans consume? Name a Danish drama series, a Greek musician, a Peruvian movie, a Chinese comedian, and a South African actress off the top of your head. I dare you.

The fact is that the biggest media empires in the world are American, and if America starts censoring who can see what and where, they are more than likely to alienate the world. Imagine a creature, holding on to his assets, kicking all the other creatures in the head who curiously wanted to know what he was holding. Not a guy you would want to know.

To be honest, the true consequences of SOPA/PIPA will remain speculation until after the fact. Like the threshold of any plague, we will not know the scope until the threat has subsided. There is a possibility that this will be like the swine flu; hysteria at government level, prompting the investment of millions into unreliable vaccines (which were later poured down the drain), where hindsight teaches that people were not that weak after all. Where there is a will, there is a way. On the other hand, SOPA could also be Gwyneth Paltrow, coughing and touching its way through the internet, killing its fundamental function and making it unsafe for anyone to use. Unless you’re Matt Damon, of course.

Yesterday, the White House made clear their position on SOPA. According to the statement, the administration is reluctant to support legislation “that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global internet.” The apparent level of thought that went into this decision seems miles away from what one angry, online-based business owner wrote a month ago. He fired back at the House of Representatives who were eager to ‘get this over with’, saying, “One representative wanted to pass the bill because she was getting bored. Others openly admitted to not knowing how to use the internet. The consensus among them was merely ‘piracy sounds bad, therefore, we should pass this anti-piracy bill’ without any further investigation into its deeper implications.”

Was he satisfied to learn about the thumbs-down Obama gave or that the official vote later this month was cancelled? Well no, because as he puts it: “SOPA is not dead; it’s been ‘shelved’ and won’t return ‘until a consensus is reached.’”

Today’s blackout campaign must bring awareness to the wider population – not just the tech-savvy who see the real risks. Legislation like SOPA, or its sister PIPA, or any distant relative for that matter, would change the nature of the internet to such expected degrees that it is hard for regular users to fathom its consequences completely. Speaking solely about the core of the idea behind SOPA, which is stopping piracy, then yes – walling in American content and chasing people around internally for breaking the rules sounds great. Maybe the rest of the world will rekindle their love for Telenovela and K-pop and enjoy unrestricted content without the Americans, but is this really the world in which we want to live? One nation demanding you do as they say – or nothing?

Join the masses who protest the great firewall of America by making a call, sign the petition, or spread the word via Twitter and Facebook. Have your say in the comment section below or @Toonaripost.

The article SOPA, The Great (Fire)Wall of America appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

In late October last year, former Texan ranch manager Rep. Lamar Smith introduced the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) to the House of Representatives. The legislation was announced under the banner of being the United States next and ultimate weapon against ‘rogue sites’: offshore web sites in nations less concerned with copyright infringement than the States, but whose location makes them an out-of-reach target for American prosecution.

The Chamber of Commerce phrased their motivation in the following way, to the New York Times: “Rogue web sites that steal America’s innovative and creative products attract more than 53 billion visits a year and threaten more than 19 million American jobs.”

Over 400 businesses and organizations have expressed enthusiasm and support of SOPA, but the most vocal supporters have been the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the Recording Industry Association of America, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

As you could expect, the entertainment industry is on the front line when it comes to seeing this piece of legislation to term and have outspent Internet companies in lobbying effort, funneling more than $91 million into support for SOPA and its related Senate bill the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA), which is under similar scrutiny. This is more than the entertainment industry has ever spent on lobbying. Ever.

While anti-piracy laws have been in place for years, many would not be unfamiliar with the idea that efforts to stop illegal downloading of copyrighted content fall short of discouraging the practice. Opponents of SOPA have equally acknowledged that protection of copyrights and trademarks both in and outside of the US is a real concern which should be addressed. However, as lifehacker.com puts it:

[T]he Stop Online Piracy Act, is another one of those bills that sound like it’s going to do something mildly positive but, in reality, has serious potential to negatively change the internet as we know it.

The outcry throughout the digital community has been strong and continues to grow. Netcoalition.com has compiled a list of companies and organizations who oppose SOPA/PIPA  and voice after voice has broken down the issues and dangers involved in the legislation for everyone to understand:

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

There is even a protest song.

Like the supporters, the opposers have one overall reason against: it will be the end of the Internet as we know it. The effects are expected to ripple through the landscape of electronic content and ruin many of the services which have become deeply ingraned in the 21st century.

Though supporters deny that the impact will be as severe as anticipated, the expected negative impact range from user content websites becoming reliable by default and forced to either censor users or shut down (Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) mentions that sites such as Etsy, Flickr and Vimeo would be blacklisted), to seriously undermining DNS, DNSSEC and other means of internet security to full blown invasion of privacy and threatening freedom of speech online.

In between you have the discouragement of investing in web-related businesses, the downfall of open source software and the dangerous presumption that the United States ‘owns’ the Internet and can overextend its laws beyond its borders.

In mid-November, the nay-sayers were joined by high profile web companies who sent a letter to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, signalling the battle to come. But the months ahead could be a battle uphill; Cnet.com reported that support for PIPA is “remarkably broad, and for SOPA a little less so.”

Apparently, an analysis show that out of 1882 bills introduced in the 112th Congress, PIPA is one out of only 19 which has enjoyed substantial bipartisan support. This has made it one of the most popular bills so far, and while SOPA is newer in comparison, it has been gaining an equal momentum.

PIPA is currently on the fast-track to approval, and SOPA seems to be right behind it. What internet users and web businesses around the world seem to have most animosity towards is the wording of the bill; there are serious concerns that the bill makes overreach a real liability. However, the real scope of the repercussions will have to be assessed once the bill’s approval goes into its final stage, and it is possible that the bleak predictions will be curbed.

The article Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA): 2012’s Biggest Controversy-to-be? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

A new bill set to pass through the United States Senate has many internet users worried about the future of online censorship. SOPA, an acronym for the Stop Online Piracy Act, was proposed as one the latest attempts to protect copyright and control online media pirates.

However, the bill’s vague parameters are already raising concerns and objections that the loose wording may be ripe for corporate manipulation. The aim of the legislation is to crack down on pirating by targeting rogue sites outside of U.S. borders. SOPA would allow the government to disband any website that hosts copyrighted material, and an individual who streams such material could also be tried for committing a federal offense.

Search engines, blogs, and directories with links to infringing content would be required to remove the offensive link under threat of lawsuit. It would force host websites to take responsibility for all of the material uploaded rather than merely serving as an impartial medium, hence the fear that major video sharing websites like Youtube could become targets.

Web giant Google went so far as to call the bill ‘draconian’, and Twitter, Wikipedia, Yahoo!, Facebook, and Redditt, among others, are taking a similar stance. Vice-President Biden also has announced his anti-SOPA position, claiming that the bill would create a fragmented and divided internet.

Others point to the fact that no new statues are actually being introduced by the bill, and that the government already has the means to combat internet theft through the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Although SOPA has garnered a lot of support from the entertainment industry, many technology experts fear that it would irrevocably change the internet for the worse, stifling innovation and many promising young online businesses.

Art Bordsky, a Washington-based public policy expert, recently explained some of the potential implications of the bill to The Guardian:

“The international aspects alone are very worrying,” he said. “It appears that the US is taking control of the entire world. The definitions written in the bill are so broad that any US consumer who uses a website overseas immediately gives the US jurisdiction the power to potentially take action against it.”

Despite rising opposition, SOPA’s supporters are insistent that the legislation is in fact needed to combat the issue of piracy, and that complaints of government censorship are overblown. Careful analysis of the bill reveals that sites host infringing information must demonstrate “willful intent” to be prosecuted, which would offer protection to sites like Youtube.

The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the issue on November 16th, and SOPA is expected to go to markup sometime around December 15th.

The article Stop Online Piracy Act Could Change the Face of The Internet appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.