While blackouts at large sites like Wikipedia, Reddit and the Cheezburger network garnered headlines, a few St. Louis sites joined the anti-piracy bill movement, too.
Local sites participating in the blackout:
• Do 314
• NextSTL
Tumblr and Wordpress users had the option to blackout or redirect their blogs. The Cubicle Chick, for example, redirects to a "Stop SOPA" page. Others, like The Daily Robert and A Branded You, have added censorship banners. Several Twitter and Facebook users have added anti-censorship "twibbons" (a small graphic or icon) to their avatars, too.
The 24-hour blackouts were set in motion to protest controversial legislation pending in Congress. The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) were designed to thwart sales of pirated U.S. products overseas. SOPA was introduced in the House of Representatives in October; PIPA was approved by a Senate committee in May and is pending before the full U.S. Senate. Supporters say the legislation will protect intellectual property and jobs. Critics say it will hurt the technology industry and infringe on free-speech rights.
Know of more local websites participating in the blackout? Send a tweet to @ericasmith, or an email to esmith@post-dispatch.com.
