Google+ Hangout With Obama Spurs SOPA Discussion

President Obama appeared before the world tonight in a virtual town hall that took place on Google+. As could easily be expected, there were some controversial issues to discuss, one of which was the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Obama responded to a question about the piece of legislation by saying there could be other workarounds, though he did not firmly voice opposition to the measure.

It was a rather stark and perhaps ironic discussion place for the bill. After all, Obama is the most technologically-active president the United States has ever seen. Tonight's event, at the behest of the president, was broadcast on YouTube, a site that by its own admission would be forced to shut down the day that SOPA was put into effect, should that day ever come. As such, even though he is a master of political statements, it was pretty obvious what Obama's true sentiments were about the proposed law.

"I think that it's going to be possible for us" to go a different route for battling online piracy. It doesn't have to be SOPA, Obama said. "What I've suggested is that both sides–the content side and the server side–come together and work with us to create a system where there are strong protections in place." In the last few weeks, there have only been lawmakers who were in support of the bill who now oppose it. There have been no Congressmen who had the reverse change of heart.

[via Cnet]