The EU's internet tsar has added her voice to resistance to the Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) in an unusually open comment on US legislation.

Neelie Kroes, the EU commissioner for the digital agenda, tweeted on Friday: "Glad tide is turning on Sopa: don't need bad legislation when should be safeguarding benefits of open net."

The legislation, currently in the House of Representatives, would allow the US justice department to target legitimate sites where users share pirated content.

Outrage over Sopa this week triggered a one-day blackout by Wikipedia's English-language service amid growing scrutiny of the bill.

The EU is also struggling with its attempts to tackle online piracy. Kroes favours a less invasive approach, tweeting: "Speeding is illegal too, but you don't put speed bumps on the motorway."