Lee Terry legislation helps despots by banning US Navy's Internet censorship-busting technology

Lee Terry, Joseph Stalin

Tor, the censorship-busting technology developed by the US Navy and promoted by the State Department as part of the solution to allowing for free communications in repressive regimes, is likely illegal technology under the Stop Online Piracy Act. SOPA makes provision for punishing Americans who contribute expertise to projects that can be used to defeat its censorship regime, and Tor fits the bill.

Terry is a cosponsor of SOPA, called the worst piece of IP legislation in a decade. Because the draconian legislation is so poorly worded and has so many potentially unintended ramifications, virtually no one outside the entertainment industry supports it. Many, including Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc., are actively opposing it.

The Stop Online Piracy Act is so reckless that one can only conclude Rep. Terry is too lazy to have read the bill he cosponsored or isn't smart enough to understand what's in it.