Ivan ##ov and Rebecca MacKinnon The bill and its Senate counterpart , the Protect IP Act , would empower the attorney general to block allegedly infringing websites based anywhere on Earth . : Congress is mulling bills to stop online piracy . Laws would make social media users proactively police for copyright infringement , they say . They say drafters mean to protect copyright , but effect would be to stifle dissent . Writers : Laws should reflect Congress ' s commitment to protect rights of Internet users globally .
Ivan ##ov and Rebecca MacKinnon : Congress is mulling bills to stop online piracy . Laws would make social media users proactively police for copyright infringement , they say . They say drafters mean to protect copyright , but effect would be to stifle dissent . Writers : Laws should reflect Congress ' s commitment to protect rights of Internet users globally .