Google Breaks Down SOPA Opposition By The Numbers

Google Breaks Down SOPA Opposition By The Numbers:

As you probably already know, a number of websites have gone silent today in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act currently being considered by Congress and the Senate's similarly controversial Protect IP Act. And while Google, which has previously voiced its opposition to both pieces of legislation, didn't shut down for the day, it is making its feelings known to the public.

In addition to slapping a black bar over the Google logo on its homepage, the Internet titan has posted the above infographic to show the vast number and variety of people who have come out against SOPA and PIPA.

Since the text is more than a bit hard to read at this size, we've summarized the info below -- or you can either click here to see the full-size PDF. You can also add your name to the petition there and read more about the two bills.

Here are the numbers Google has for opponents to SOPA and PIPA:

1 -- Vint Cerf, one of the founding fathers of the Internet, opposed SOPA in an open letter to Congress.

5 -- Internet security experts (Steve Crocker, David Dagon, Dan Kaminsky, Danny McPherson, Paul Vixie) issued a white paper raising serious concerns about the technical approach of PIPA.

9 -- Internet and technology companies (including AOL, eBay, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Firefox, LinkedIn, Zynga) sent an open letter opposing the bills and the risks posed to innovation and job creation.

17 -- Internet company founders (including Arianna Huffington, Craig Newmark, Jimmy Wales and Sergey Brin) sent an open letter opposing SOPA and PIPA.

39 -- Advocacy and public interest organizations (including the ACLU, MoveOn and Consumers Union) voiced their opposition.

41 -- Human organizations, including the Center for Media Justice and Reporters Without Borders, sent a letter to express concern for the bills' civil and human rights implications.

55 -- Leading venture capitalists issued a letter expressing concerns that PIPA "would stifle investment in Internet services, throttle innovation and hurt American competitiveness."

110 -- Law professors sent a letter expressing "serious constitutional, innovation, and foreign policy concerns."

204 -- Entrepreneurs sent a letter expressing concern that PIPA and SOPA would "hurt economic growth and chill innovation."

113,000+ -- People have petitioned the White House to oppose SOPA and PIPA. The White House issued a commitment to "not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative, global Internet."

887,000+ -- members of the American public called Congress to voice their opposition through AmericanCensorship.org.

3,000,000+ -- Americans voice their opposition by signing petitions.