Sergey Brin

Unlike so many tech execs who play the role of shrinking violet when there's even a whiff of political controversy, Google co-founder Sergey Brin was among the most vocal executives on the front lines criticizing SOPA (and PIPA), which he likened to Internet censorship practiced by the likes of Iran and China. "I am shocked that our lawmakers would contemplate such measures that would put us on a par with the most oppressive nations in the world," Brin wrote at the time. (See related story about what SOPA's backers now think, one year later.)