news blog | January 23, 2012 | 2 comments

ACTA: The latest threat to the Internet

Last week, the Internet launched into activism to defeat SOPA and PIPA, bills which threatened the way the Web works. But even with SOPA and PIPA shelved, for now, it isn't time to rest easy as a treaty that could seriously impair the Internet is in the works.

Forbes reports on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, or ACTA, which has already been signed by many Western countries including the U.S. But it still needs to be ratified by the Senate (and receive approval from the E.U.) to go ahead.

So why should you worry about ACTA?

Unlike SOPA and PIPA, ACTA was drafted behind closed doors, so the details aren't as clear. But the Electronic Freedom Foundation notes that leaked information includes requests for legal regimes to encourage ISPs to monitor for protected content and that the groups involved in drafting ACTA have called for mandatory network-level filtering and the ability for ISPs to terminate an individual's Internet connection for repeated allegations of infringement. That's just part of what ACTA covers.

ACTA also extends beyond the Internet -- ACTA could crack down on generic drugs and expand food patents,  and enforce a global standard on seed patents. The agreement is designed to apply broadly, and some countries which are not signatories, like India, are already working to oppose it. But the countries that have signed on have made very little information available to the public.

Just because Congress bowed to public pressure and shelved SOPA -- again, for now -- doesn't mean that the struggle over copyright and the free exchange of information is over. The industry groups that benefit from tight control over information form powerful lobbies, and the debate over expanding technology and protection of free speech isn't going away.

If you'd like to oppose ACTA, you can sign a petition against the agreement here.

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