Wikipedia joins web blackout
Published:Wednesday | January 18, 2012 | 10:22 AM
Wikipedia has joined other websites in going offline for 24 hours today in protest against plans for new US anti-piracy laws.
Twitter has declined to take part in the shutdown.
The sites' webmasters are opposed to the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect Intellectual Property Act being debated by Congress.
The US bills are designed to block access to sites containing unauthorised copyright material.
Wikipedia's founder, Jimmy Wales, said the bill is so badly written that it's going to impact things that have nothing to do with stopping piracy.
Supporters of the anti-piracy bill in the House of Representatives say the legislation is designed to stop revenue flowing to rogue websites.