The Internet’s Own Boy: A movie everyone online should see

The Internet’s Own Boy is a documentary about computer prodigy, Internet pioneer, and activist hacker Aaron Swartz, but even if you’ve never heard of Aaron Swartz you should see this movie. The story has implications beyond the short life of one man. Through the passion, drama, and tragedy of Aaron Swartz’s life The Internet’s Own Boy describes issues that impact everyone online: censorship, government surveillance, free speech, transparency, and net neutrality.

Watch the trailer:

Aaron Swartz grew up in Highland Park, Illinois outside of Chicago. While still in his teens he helped to create RSS and Reddit. Later he began to use his tech savvy to publicly share court documents then academic journals to increase their availability.

That’s when the government began their legal pursuit of Aaron Swartz. That’s when things got bad.

If you aren’t familiar with Aaron Swartz, The Internet Own’s Boy will amaze you with how much he had done by the age of 26. If you already know the story, The Internet’s Own Boy serves as a tribute to a genius lost too soon.

But The Internet’s Own Boy is about more than Aaron Swartz.

As a citizen of the Internet you should be aware of issues such as the net neutrality debate, the Cyber Information Sharing Act (CISA), the EU’s “right to be forgotten” law, and ongoing revelations about NSA surveillance. The Internet’s Own Boy explores the nature of the worldwide web, and the principles underlying all those current issues.

The Internet’s Own Boy is currently in theaters and is available on demand from various carriers including cable and Amazon.

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