sopacountdown guides & articles
10 in-depth guides on SOPA Countdown and related topics.
SOPA & PIPA explained
SOPA & PIPA explained
What SOPA Would Have Done to the Internet
A factual look at what SOPA would have done to the internet: DNS blocking, search delisting, payment and ad cutoffs, and the security and free-speech risks critics warned about.
SOPA & PIPA explained
What Was PIPA? The PROTECT IP Act Explained
A clear explainer on the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA): the Senate anti-piracy bill of 2011, what it proposed, how it differed from SOPA, and why it was ultimately shelved.
SOPA & PIPA explained
What Was SOPA? The Stop Online Piracy Act Explained
A factual explainer on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA): what the 2011 bill proposed, who supported and opposed it, the criticisms it drew, and why it never became law.
SOPA & PIPA explained
SOPA vs PIPA: What Was the Difference?
A side-by-side comparison of SOPA and PIPA: the House and Senate anti-piracy bills of 2011, what they shared, how they differed, and why both collapsed together.
The 2012 blackout
The 2012 blackout
Why SOPA Failed: How the Internet Won
An analysis of why SOPA failed: the coordinated blackout, broad tech-industry opposition, technical criticism, and public pressure that collapsed the bill in days.
The 2012 blackout
The January 18, 2012 Internet Blackout Explained
A detailed look at the January 18, 2012 internet blackout: how Wikipedia, Reddit, and roughly 115,000 sites went dark to protest SOPA and PIPA, and the impact it had.
Countdown timers
Internet activism
Digital rights history
Digital rights history
The Legacy of the 2012 SOPA Blackout
How the 2012 SOPA blackout left a lasting mark on digital rights: the tactics it pioneered, the movements it inspired, and the questions it left unresolved.
Digital rights history
Timeline of SOPA: From Introduction to Defeat
A complete timeline of SOPA and PIPA, from their introduction in 2011 through the January 2012 blackout to their defeat, with every key date and event explained.