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April 06, 2009
Will bill give Obama control of Internet?
Will bill give Obama control of Internet?
Proposed new powers called 'drastic federal intervention'
By Drew Zahn
A pair of bills introduced in the U.S. Senate would grant the White House sweeping new powers to access private online data, regulate the cybersecurity industry and even shut down Internet traffic during a declared "cyber emergency."
Senate bills No. 773 and 778, introduced by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V., are both part of what's being called the Cybersecurity Act of 2009, which would create a new Office of the National Cybersecurity Advisor, reportable directly to the president and charged with defending the country from cyber attack.
A working draft of the legislation obtained by an Internet privacy group also spells out plans to grant the Secretary of Commerce access to all privately owned information networks deemed to be critical to the nation's infrastructure "without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule or policy restricting such access."
Privacy advocates and Internet experts have been quick to sound the alarm over the act's broadly drawn government powers.
"The cybersecurity threat is real," says Leslie Harris, president of the Center for Democracy and Technology, which obtained the draft of S.773, "but such a drastic federal intervention in private communications technology and networks could harm both security and privacy."
"The whole thing smells bad to me," writes Larry Seltzer in eWeek, an Internet and print news source on technology issues. "I don't like the chances of the government improving this situation by taking it over generally, and I definitely don't like the idea of politicizing this authority by putting it in the direct control of the president."
According to a Senate document explaining the bill, the legislation "addresses our country's unacceptable vulnerability to massive cyber crime, global cyber espionage and cyber attacks that could cripple our critical infrastructure."
In a statement explaining the bill's introduction, Sen. Rockefeller said, "We must protect our critical infrastructure at all costs – from our water to our electricity, to banking, traffic lights and electronic health records – the list goes on."
Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, who is co-sponsoring the bill, added, "If we fail to take swift action, we, regrettably, risk a cyber-Katrina."
Critics, however, have pointed to three actions Rockefeller and Snowe propose that may violate both privacy concerns and even constitutional bounds:
First, the White House, through the national cybersecurity advisor, shall have the authority to disconnect "critical infrastructure" networks from the Internet – including private citizens' banks and health records, if Rockefeller's examples are accurate – if they are found to be at risk of cyber attack. The working copy of the bill, however, does not define what constitutes a cybersecurity emergency, and apparently leaves the question to the discretion of the president.
Second, the bill establishes the Department of Commerce as "the clearinghouse of cybersecurity threat and vulnerability information," including the monitoring of private information networks deemed a part of the "critical infrastructure."
Third, the legislation proposes implementation of a professional licensing program for certifying who can serve as a cybersecurity professional.
And while the critics concede the need for increased security, they object to what is perceived as a dangerous and intrusive expansion of government power.
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Wild Thing's comment.........
Al Gore invented Obama oh wait that was supposed to be Al Gore invented the internet.
I thought the dems hated the wire taps and now they want this? I guess it is ok with the dems as long as it is one of theirs suggesting it.
To any liberals lurking here that may think this is a good idea... Be careful what powers you give the government.
If they get away with this, it would probably effect all the conservative blogs and places like Townhall, WND, and all the other places we read.
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....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at April 6, 2009 07:45 AM
Comments
The dums have got it all wrong anyway. Bush wasn't wiretapping ordinary citizens. It was known terrorists. I don't want the government knowing what sites I visit on the net or to whom I'm emailing. This is far more intrusive, but no one says anything about how bad it is. It's okay because the dums came up with it. Olympia Snowe should NOT be reelected. She's too much of a problem anymore.
Posted by: Lynn at April 6, 2009 08:18 AM
The Red Chinese just hacked into the Computer files of the Pentagon and other secret spaces.
So what are they worried about ? The Internet.
With losers like this the next ATTACK can not be far off. Their priorities are all screwed up. If they would start worrying about upholding the constitution and stop worrying about spreading the wealth around we would be a hell of a lot safer.
Posted by: Mark at April 6, 2009 09:22 AM
The Obamastalin gets to decide what's vital and pull the plug? Niiiiiice. This new position reports directly to the Prez...where's the oversight? Well, with the sterling selections we've had from the White House so far, who'll be the Internet Czar? Prob'ly some convicted internet predator...after all, he'll know the 'net quite well and is used to poking around. It gets better and better.
Posted by: PeteSuj at April 6, 2009 09:24 AM
One of the last bastions of freedom and the politicians want to control it. No surprise that Sen. Snowe, the RINO, co sponsored the bill. This isn't about terrorism. This is about stiffling political opposition. Pretty soon it will be illegal to say "Buy more ammo".
Posted by: TomR at April 6, 2009 01:07 PM
Lynn, I agree, Snowe needs to lose her next election or change parties.
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 6, 2009 07:03 PM
Mark, I agree, I never saw anything like these people. Like you said their priorities are all screwed up.
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 6, 2009 07:16 PM
PeteSuj, yes good point, that would be the type of person they would probably pick too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 6, 2009 07:19 PM
Tom, I agree, the thing I don't get about this though is that Obama loves the internet, he was elected partly because of the internet and how he used it and still does. If they ban it or something then I guess it would only be for his followers and not us.
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 6, 2009 07:22 PM
Stalinistic bastards!!!
Posted by: Jack at April 6, 2009 09:50 PM
Jack DITTO that !!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 7, 2009 12:07 AM
