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Murdoch criticises Obama over online piracy stance

News Corporation chief executive Rupert Murdoch has attacked the White House for its position on anti-piracy legislation.

With his new Twitter account, Murdoch said: “So Obama has thrown in his lot with Silicon Valley paymasters who threaten all software creators with piracy, plain thievery.”

The White House released a statement on their blog saying: “While we believe that online piracy by foreign websites is a serious problem that requires a serious legislative response, we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cyber security risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global internet.”

The legislation in question, which is currently being debated in the US Congress, is the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act. These would put a greater responsibility for linking to and hosting websites offering illegal downloads of films, music and other copyrighted material on companies such as search engines or social media sites.

Technology companies say that laws to censor or restrict the internet in this way would choke innovation. Other analysts predict that it could have an impact on advertising in social media.

Murdoch also used Twitter to criticise Google, saying: “Piracy leader is Google who streams movies free sells adverts around them. No wonder pouring millions into lobbying.”

It is not just technology groups that oppose the legislation, but also figures within the entertainment industry and a large grassroots movement known as ‘Stop SOPA’ that has been encouraging people to write to their representatives and ask them to block the legislation.

David Hing, London