Facebook’s founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg released a statement on Wednesday in strong opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA).
“The [I]nternet is the most powerful tool we have for creating a more open and connected world. We can’t let poorly thought out laws get in the way of the [I]nternet’s development,” Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page. “Facebook opposes SOPA and PIPA, and we will continue to oppose any laws that will hurt the [I]nternet.”
Zuckerberg said the world needs political leaders to be “pro-Internet” and that his team is working with politicians to offer better alternatives to the current legislation. He directed people to read more about Facebook’s stance on anti-piracy bills on their Washington D.C. page.
His note garnered more than 100,000 likes within the first 20 minutes and more than 20,000 people shared his message. (He boasts more than 10 million subscribers to his page.)
Commenters on Zuckerberg’s note are supporting his position and one user suggested to “shutdown Facebook for 24 hours – that’ll make them sit up a bit.” More than 3,000 people liked that comment.
Another comment that drew support—and more than 1,100 likes—was from Randy Strong, who said: “The [I]nternet doesn’t work when it’s controlled. We might as well live in China!”
Photo by deneyterrio