Perhaps one of the most popular acronyms thrown around these days is the word SOPA, which stands for the Stop Online Piracy Act. It's one of three bills (there are two others, PIPA and OPEN) being considered by Congress that seek to put a stop to online piracy, copyright infringement and other internet dangers.

So why all the controversy? It sounds well-intentioned enough, and it could certainly contribute to a safer online community, as well as make you worry less about virus removal and spyware removal. But, SOPA also contains some language in its stipulations that has many online companies such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and Reddit concerned that freedom of speech and creative innovation are at risk.

If passed, SOPA gives the government the power to cut off payment to websites immediately, as well as require search engines to block them, leading critics of the bill to question whether – if passed – SOPA will give the government so much control over the internet that it could be at risk for censorship.

The White House responded to these criticisms with a recent blog post.

"While we believe that online piracy by foreign Web sites is a serious problem that requires a serious legislative response, we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet," wrote White House representatives Victoria Espinel, Aneesh Chopra and Howard Schmidt in the post.

The bill is still being debated in Congress, as lawmakers struggle to find an appropriate way to deal with the dangers of the web, while trying to maintain citizens' freedoms. In the meantime, if you are concerned about viruses or other malware on your own computer, it might be a good idea to contact a local Washington, D.C. virus removal center.