Wikipedia is among the sites protesting two US anti-piracy bills by blocking access to their content for a day, but the blackout can be circumvented – by using the Wikipedia mobile site.

When viewed on a mobile device, Wikipedia displays a black banner linking to information about the protest, but still offers full access to the site. “Our purpose here isnt to make it completely impossible for people to read Wikipedia”, explains the sites Learn More page.

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), the US bills being protested, are intended to stop online copyright infringement. Under the acts, any sites which failed to comply would risk being blocked in their entirety. These bils, critics argue, violate free expression and, by putting the burden on the site owners – Wikipedia would be responsible for the content of every external link – could be damaging to any site which relies on user-contributed content.