Stop SOPA: How People And Social Media Changed Lawmakers' Minds (INFOGRAPHIC)

Jan. 18, 2012 was a big day for supporters of Internet freedom.

Not only did several major websites go dark in protest of two online piracy bills before Congress, but several key lawmakers, withdrew their support for the legislation.

So what changed these politicians minds about the Stop Online Piracy Act and its Senate equivalent, the Protect IP Act? And what got other lawmakers -- who had previously said nothing about the two bills -- to suddenly come out against them?

A new graphic from visual.ly suggests both the blackout and pressure from citizens who became more aware of what the two bills could do to certain websites deserve credit for the reversals.

The graphic below shows the number of Congressional lawmakers who supported and opposed the two bills before and after January 18. It also looks at the Twitter traffic the topic generated.

by visually via

Disclosure: AOL, The Huffington Post's parent company, is among the companies lobbying against SOPA and PIPA.

Comments

[Frank David Nall]

02:51 PM on 01/23/2012

The big picture says they did it without passing the law which is the case in megaupload. No matter what you may think of the "ceo", Sopa was enacted.

[hursh 4 ever]

10:34 PM on 01/22/2012

well people realized that the 'lawmakers' weren't actually representing 'the people', they were just going rogue on the tax payers money... and when 'the people' became aware, 'the lawmakers' changed their tune. these idiot lawmakers don't know who they are 'supposed' to be working for, they just do things on their own or for payoffs... its disgusting.

[onlythetruthcounts]

08:28 PM on 01/22/2012

When it's easier to purchase media online then there will be less piracy. The media companies should take note of this and embrace the Internet. It's easier for this guy I know to search for and dl full seasons of tv shows than it is to go to itunes or amazon and purchase it. Too often the show or album isn't available any other way.

[Unibrow]

10:31 AM on 01/22/2012

I will trade a war against internet piracy for a war against drugs or terror, anytime!

[thelazypaperboy]

01:12 AM on 01/22/2012

Just remember: it ain;t over til it's over ...
http://www.jrdeputyaccountant.com/2012/01/congressional-cowards-abandon-sopapipa.html

[Artamentous]

12:32 AM on 01/22/2012

Funny we scream about this obvious overreach, but most of us didn't care or don't know that our media companies are controlled by 7 companies! THAT IS CRAZY

[Unibrow]

10:25 AM on 01/22/2012

What ever happened to the concept of a "monopoly" and the Federal government's opposition to it?

[cibersatan]

12:04 PM on 01/22/2012

the "monopoly" has become our government.....bought and paid for

[Artamentous]

12:28 PM on 01/22/2012

They never had a problem, look at the history of the Sherman Anti trust act. First time it was used was to BREAK A UNION!

[Aladdin Sane1]

11:11 PM on 01/21/2012

Only sheet music should be subject to copyright, not performances thereof--they are but one possible interpretation of the material.

Only source code should be copyrighted, not compiled binary programs. Source code is written by humans, binary executables are just ones and zeros.

[TLKelly]

09:21 PM on 01/21/2012

So the entertainment industry failed to pivot their business model in order to keep up with technology and innovation and now they want to force legislation and have pissy toddler tantrums? GTFOH

They are just mad they cant control distribution any more. Its not about the artist. Its about greed. Pure greed. They make money, but oh its not enough. They need all of it, every last penny due.

People will always find a means to get music and videos for free. And if I want something for free, it usually means I NEVER had any intentions of buying it. So the loss of revenue is probably a fallacy.

If a person is buying a knock off purse or shoes, etc. they 99% of the time can't afford the real deal and would NEVER have purchased the real item. So again, revenue loss is a fallacy.

When I do pay for music or movies its because I have made the concerted effort to support an artist and I WANT to give that artist my money and have it be counted toward their credit.

[Chris Partridge]

09:21 PM on 01/21/2012

I would equate this legislation to Congress passing bills to passing a law to make it legal to search all vehicles on the freeway to stop theft. There is a need to protect the intellectual property of others, there is no doubt, but suggested route, only puts the US and the Internet one step closer to being like China.

This is almost the Patriot Act for the Internet. If you are will to have every single one of your e-mails "read" and registered by the federal government then I can see you being for these pieces of legislation.

[Craig Koebelin]

07:32 PM on 01/21/2012

The people who steal stuff beat the people who create stuff, because the average person creates nothing, but steals plenty.

Wikipedia, cobbled together from stolen bits, of course was against laws to protect original content.

It's all about freedom - until you are the one watching your content available on other people's sites.

[Mikecoatl]

10:44 PM on 01/21/2012

If you cared the least bit about freedom, you wouldn't want to give censoring power to private corporations.

[Craig Koebelin]

11:45 AM on 01/22/2012

Yeah, sorry about that rant, SOPA and PIPA were written by non-tech people, they were terrible attempts at legislation and surely unconstitutional.

[Winski]

07:02 PM on 01/21/2012

THIS is good data but TWO things are missing/irrelevant...

1) the BRIBE MONEY paid to most of the politicians was beginning to be exposed to the public. EVERY office holder, all 535 we're legally vulnerable....

2) the picture of Newt is not relevant here or in any other context. If any of your readers had been around when Newt originally burst on the scene and saw this, they would be throwing up in their mouths a little just looking at this bozo. He's a disgraced, shamed piece of garbage and should be treated that way.

[MiniverCheevy]

05:49 PM on 01/21/2012

"The only honest politician is one that stays bought."

Guess they're failing by that criteria too.

Too bad they didn't stay honest to their constituents (the real human ones, not the fictional corporate ones) in the first place!

[bleek]

05:15 PM on 01/21/2012

I think it might be time for all of us to start trying on orange jumpsuits. I want mine to at least fit okay.

[cibersatan]

12:06 PM on 01/22/2012

.....not too tight in the crotch eh??

[FEngels]

04:54 PM on 01/21/2012

We may have lost this round on ending web piracy and copyright infringement but it is only the first of many to come.

The congress will now be prepared for the web reaction.

The owners of copyrights in all forms will not just fold and disappear.

They will return stronger and much better organized.

And we will ultimately win.

All bit torrent sites will close. Vuze will be crushed.

This is just the beginning.

[Mikecoatl]

10:46 PM on 01/21/2012

In other words, the RIAA and MPAA will be ready with more bribe money, right? You are right in that it is just the beginning, but you are DEAD WRONG thinking you will win. Bring it.

[onlythetruthcounts]

08:17 PM on 01/22/2012

"All bit torrent sites will close. Vuze will be crushed." lol nice one! You're a dreamer, I can tell.

[Bizmark]

02:57 PM on 01/21/2012

In other times the printing press at the union hall was smashed, goons were let loose on the protesters and the issue at hand, wages, conditions, etc never made it to the people at large. The internet poses larger threats to those 'in charge' of morals and economics, and the attempts to throttle threatening communication among the concerned will not be stopped as we see here w/ motions tabled for a hoped for better time.

It is very disturbing to see Pelosi on the wrong side of this one. Her credentials, her appeal is as a progressive and this move to champion SOPA/PIPA don't match up. This issue is incompatible w/ the views of her supporters in the electorate. If she has chosen to support the enemies of progressive politics her days as an effective and popular legislator are numbered.