Why is the Internet on strike today?

Today, Mozilla is joining the virtual strike against Internet censorship - along with others like Wikipedia and Google - to raise awareness of US Congress legislation that could fundamentally alter the Internet we know and love.

This harmful legislation, called the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate, will be voted on as early as January 24th in the Senate.

If you live in the US, there's still time to help stop these bills from becoming law. Please visit mozilla.org/sopa for information on the bill, and on ways you can reach out to your legislators.

What makes this legislation so bad? Here's how it would change the Web:

• Communication platforms - from YouTube to Facebook to Amazon - could be shut down if a single rights holder alleges a violation.
• It would make the Web less stable and less secure.
• Social networking sites, like Twitter or Facebook, could be forced to track and control user behavior, stunting innovation and undermining free expression.
• Your Internet provider could be required to inspect all of your traffic and browsing.

Visit mozilla.org/sopa right now for information - and make your voice heard before it's too late.

Please join today's strike, and help protect the Internet.

Sincerely,

Jane & Winston
Editors