Hi there,

The internet we know and love is at risk.

As you read this, the US Congress is considering legislation called the Stop Online Piracy Act. But the fact is that the legislation as written won't stop piracy. It would, however, pose a serious threat to social media and user generated content sites (like YouTube) across the internet. It could also undermine some of the core technical systems underlying the internet, creating new cybersecurity risks.

So Mozilla -- along with many other internet companies and public interest organizations -- is urging members of Congress to reject this bill as written and work together with us to come up with a solution that works. And I'd like to ask you to do the same.

The US House's Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing on the bill today -- If you live or vote in the US, please contact your representatives in Congress.

Not in the US? Please forward this to a friend or two who is, and promote this campaign any way you can -- this affects us all.

And after you contact your legislator, please make sure you're a part of Mozilla's efforts in this campaign going forward.

We see this as a fight for the future of the internet. Here are just a few of the potential consequences if this legislation passes:

  --  Whole sites -- from YouTube to Wordpress -- could be under threat for something as simple as a member posting a video of themselves singing a copyrighted pop song
  --  General-purpose social media sites like Twitter or Facebook could be forced to track and control user behavior, curbing innovation and undermining free expression
  --  Your internet provider could be required to monitor all of your browsing, and also to block your access to specific web addresses
  --  Overall, the web could become less stable and less secure

That's why, as a non-profit committed to keeping the web open and accessible to all, Mozilla wants to ensure that this legislation does not jeopardize the foundational structure of the Internet.

It's why we co-signed a letter opposing this legislation with Google, Twitter, Facebook, eBay, LinkedIn, Yahoo!, AOL and Zynga -- and it's why we're asking you to get involved today.

The type of online activity that this legislation jeopardizes is absolutely fundamental to how we all use the web -- and to the work we at Mozilla are doing every day, from Firefox to Popcorn to Hackasaurus.

So please email your representatives, and then get involved in Mozilla's campaign against this legislation. We'll get in touch over the coming weeks with more ways to participate.

Thanks so much for your help,

Mark

P.S. -- There's one passage which I think is most crucial from the letter we sent to Congress -- and ought to make it impossible for this bill to pass:

We are concerned that [this legislation will] pose a serious risk to our industry's continued track record of innovation and job creation, as well as our Nation's cybersecurity.

You can read the rest of the letter here.

--

Mark Surman
Executive Director
Mozilla Foundation