The Wikimedia foundation said that if the legislation was made law, the Internet would be less free and open, and authorities would have new tools for censorship of international websites inside the United States.
The legislation – called the Stop Online Piracy Act in the U.S. House Of Representatives, and the Protect Intellectual Property Act in the U.S. Senate — is designed to combat illegal sales of pirated U.S. products.
Supporters include the film and music industries, who say they lose millions of dollars when their products are distributed illegally.
Critics of the legislation say it could hurt the technology industry and infringe on free-speech rights.
Wikipedia is one of the 10 most visited websites in the world, with tens of millions of visitors daily.
compiled from agency reports
Source Article from http://www.rferl.org/content/wikipedia_goes_dark_to_protest_us_legislation/24454110.html
