Censorship has a New Name, TPP aka the Trans-Pacific Partnership... of Oppression

Move over ACTA, SOPA and PIPA the New Enemy is now the TPP, aka the Trans-Pacific Partnership

In the midst of worldwide anti-censorship protests, the future of Internet freedom becomes more and more uncertain.

Regardless of online protests and public outcries, lawmakers everywhere seem determined to fight online piracy at the price of freedom.

Across Europe, tens of thousands protested ACTA, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, which boils down to being a multinational treaty geared to increase enforcement of copyright laws worldwide. 

Poland, where over 20,000 had protested against the agreement, was one of the first European countries to oppose the bill, with Germany Germany not far behind, with over 100,000 people gathering by the Justice Ministry. Meanwhile, outraged citizens of other European countries such as Estonia, Malta, Bulgaria, Britain and France also took part in the demonstrations, with many symbolically sporting freedom fighting V for Vendetta masks.

Similarly, though perhaps less dramatically, in the US SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (PROTECT IP Act) were postponed recently after widespread online blackouts were further compounded by multiple Occupy protests across America.

Still anti-censorship and free-speech activists remain wary, as they could return in different forms under new names. In fact. many, including myself, believe that lawmakers will continue to change the language of the laws or come out with entirely new ones until they get what they want. 

Rebecca Jeschke, a spokeswoman for online advocacy group the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said:

“The bills aren’t dead yet, not at all. There could still be scheduled votes or amendments to the existing bills, or they could return in different forms under new names."

And sure enough, here comes the TPP, taking off where ACTA, SOPA and PIPA left off! In fact, it has been dubbed ACTA 2.0!

The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) proclaims the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) "a secretive, multi-nation agreement that threatens to extend restrictive intellectual property laws across the globe."

The TPP, "a secretive, multi-nation agreement that threatens to extend restrictive intellectual property laws across the globe." only captured public attention by chance, thanks to the whistleblowing website Wikileaks. The goal of the treaty is to increase the liberalization of economies in the Asia-Pacific regions, but it also includes crucial components that involve the internet.

According to what is known about TPP, it would introduce rules and regulations that force all participating nations to comply, including policies that affect both copyrights and IP rights.

TPP has already produced quite a few critics, including the hacktivist group Anonymous, which spoke out saying it would serve as a bigger blow to internet free speech than both SOPA and PIPA.

In the US, Rep. Darrell Issa already introduced the Online Protection & Enforcement of Digital Trade Act as a SOPA and PIPA alternative to Congress.

Though, as with SOPA and PIPA major websites like Reddit, Google and Wikipedia oppose the bills, they are being supported by major Hollywood players, as well as some in Congress, including Minnesota Sen. Al Franken. Franken defended his support of these censorship bills with a statement to the Minnesota Daily:

“I understand as well as anyone the importance of keeping the Internet free from undue corporate influence. “We cannot simply shrug off the threat of online piracy. We cannot do nothing.”

One of the main problems with the current system is that the music industry loses about $12.5 billion each year to piracy, according to thy Recording Industry Association of America.

Although Franken claims that there is a lot of “misinformation” about PIPA circulating, anti-censorship and free-speech activists believe he is just saying what he believes people want to hear, doing whatever it takes to get his measures passed.

“If this bill really could do some of the things people have heard it would do … I’d never support it,” Franken said. 

Right.

ACTA, which has more detailed language than SOPA, was an even greater threat to internet freedom, according to critics, TPP appears to be a greater threat still. In fact, it seems as if with each new measure lawmakers are getting bolder, writing ever more oppressive language into already troublesome, atrocious and unjust legislation. 

Where will it all end?

If we want to continue enjoying a relatively free, relatively democratic society, we must successfully oppose measures such as TPP, ACTA and SOPA, as well as other forms of government oppression such as the NDAA, the Patriot Act and ouir governments continued attempts to disarm us with ever new forms of gun control.

Should we continue complacency, we will continue to have our rights taken from us, while our freedoms are limited more and more, until there aren't any left.

I ask that you follow both my Censorship Watch and especially my Conspiracy Watch blogs with an open mind, and let me show you what is really happening in America and around the world. 

Don't let mainstream media blind you to the truth.

Written By: Tom Retterbush

Email: tomretterbush@gmail.com