Amid
public backlash, the Senate and House have postponed votes on
controversial anti-piracy legislation. The Senate was expected to
hold a procedural vote on the Protect IP Act (PIPA), while the House
was supposed to do the same with the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).
As opposition mounted, congressional members began to withdraw their
support of the bills, and ultimately delayed any action on the
legislation for the time being. Elected officials were inundated with
calls and petitions in opposition to the acts, while dozens of
prominent websites participated in an internet blackout to protest
the bills.
Many credit Americans' activism with the shelving of the bills. The narrative has it that the little guys beat back media conglomerates and prevented the passage of legislation that would stifle free speech and expression, and alter the core functions of the web (which the acts would in fact do). Indeed, SOPA and PIPA are the products of massive lobbying efforts by the Motion Pictures Association of America and other traditional media outlets to protect their business interests. And the millions who voiced their opposition to the acts have likely influenced the debate to a certain degree. Let's not, however, forget the influence that major players from “new media” have had.
Google, Facebook, Amazon, Yahoo, Twitter, AOL, Wikipedia, YouTube, and eBay were some of the most prominent organizations to voice their opposition to SOPA and PIPA. They collected petition signatures, disseminated information on the bills, persuaded Americans to call their elected officials, and generally helped bring the debate about the anti-piracy bills to the forefront. And they have every interest to do so. Their profits are in many ways dependent upon the defeat of these acts. They had to take action for the survival of their companies, much less the championing of free speech. This was a fight not only between traditional and new media, but for the survival of many tech giants.
The fact that numerous members of Congress withdrew their support for SOPA and PIPA may, in fact, not be due to the outcry of the American people, but the media conglomerates, juridical "people," who have money to contribute and influence to wield. Deep-pocketed companies like Google and Facebook, and politicians gearing up for re-election, may have found a shared purpose in defeating these bills: self-preservation.
In our post-Citizens United world, the individual takes a backseat to the corporation, especially when it comes to the functioning of our political system. While the outpouring of millions of Americans in the PIPA fight was certainly heartening, it may not be the testament to civic engagement that so many hoped it would be. Politics operates within a closed system. Influence is dictated by money. Legislation is written by industries. Agencies are controlled by the entities they are supposed to regulate. In modern American politics, the average citizen is becoming increasingly irrelevant.
The fight over SOPA and PIPA is far from over. As the drama unfolds, the best way to get to the truth is simple: follow the money. The outcome will likely not be dictated by the body politic, but the industry that proves it is more important to the re-election bids of our politicians.
Many credit Americans' activism with the shelving of the bills. The narrative has it that the little guys beat back media conglomerates and prevented the passage of legislation that would stifle free speech and expression, and alter the core functions of the web (which the acts would in fact do). Indeed, SOPA and PIPA are the products of massive lobbying efforts by the Motion Pictures Association of America and other traditional media outlets to protect their business interests. And the millions who voiced their opposition to the acts have likely influenced the debate to a certain degree. Let's not, however, forget the influence that major players from “new media” have had.
Google, Facebook, Amazon, Yahoo, Twitter, AOL, Wikipedia, YouTube, and eBay were some of the most prominent organizations to voice their opposition to SOPA and PIPA. They collected petition signatures, disseminated information on the bills, persuaded Americans to call their elected officials, and generally helped bring the debate about the anti-piracy bills to the forefront. And they have every interest to do so. Their profits are in many ways dependent upon the defeat of these acts. They had to take action for the survival of their companies, much less the championing of free speech. This was a fight not only between traditional and new media, but for the survival of many tech giants.
The fact that numerous members of Congress withdrew their support for SOPA and PIPA may, in fact, not be due to the outcry of the American people, but the media conglomerates, juridical "people," who have money to contribute and influence to wield. Deep-pocketed companies like Google and Facebook, and politicians gearing up for re-election, may have found a shared purpose in defeating these bills: self-preservation.
In our post-Citizens United world, the individual takes a backseat to the corporation, especially when it comes to the functioning of our political system. While the outpouring of millions of Americans in the PIPA fight was certainly heartening, it may not be the testament to civic engagement that so many hoped it would be. Politics operates within a closed system. Influence is dictated by money. Legislation is written by industries. Agencies are controlled by the entities they are supposed to regulate. In modern American politics, the average citizen is becoming increasingly irrelevant.
The fight over SOPA and PIPA is far from over. As the drama unfolds, the best way to get to the truth is simple: follow the money. The outcome will likely not be dictated by the body politic, but the industry that proves it is more important to the re-election bids of our politicians.
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