Legislation originally introduced early last year by Senators John Rockefeller and Olympia Snowe has reared its ugly head again. This time spearheaded by Sen. Joseph Lieberman.
Dubbed the "Internet Kill Switch" Lieberman's new Cybersecurity bill could potentially give the president the power to switch off internet services in the event of an immediate threat. The Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010, or. S3480, would create an Office of Cyber Policy in the White House with a director accountable to the public who would lead all federal cyberspace efforts and devise national cyberspace strategy. A National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications within the Department of Homeland Security, also led by a director accountable to the public, would enforce cybersecurity policies throughout the government and the private sector. The bill would also establish a public/private partnership to set national cyber security priorities and improve national cyber security defenses.
In addition to the creation of the National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications (NCCC) the bill adds provision that would effectively allow the disconnection of several sectors of the civilian infrastructure including parts of the Internet that runs the electric grid, the telecommunications grid and the transportation gtid in the event of attack.
According to transcripts from CNN's State of the union Sen. Joseph Lieberman feels the government "Needs the capacity to disconnect the American Internet from all traffic coming in from another foreign country" stating we are "constantly being probed by nation states, by some terrorist groups, by organized criminal gangs."
Lieberman feels there is a need for the government to protect itself and its citizens should a war or organized attack occurs. Sadly (and yes this is a US senator) he compares the US to China stating "Right now, China, the government, can disconnect parts of its Internet in a case of war. We need to have that here, too."
On Sunday Lieberman dismissed the idea that the new bill would give the president access to an Internet kill switch as "misinformation." What misinformation you might ask? Lieberman feels confident that even though the government has the power it "never take over -- the government should never take over the Internet."
Yeah right we all believe that the government will never do that. History has shown us otherwise! To me its sickening that Lieberman, a sitting US senator, can sit there and compare us to China. Sure we need to "protect" the government but saying that this bill is good for the people sounds pure communistic to me. The private sector has the right to shut down their networks in case of attack, the government does not need the power to be able to interject.
As I mentioned in last years post "New Bill Would Give Obama An Internet Kill Switch" the wide sweeping power this legislation could give is utterly scary. It could be enacted in the event of almost any perceived threat, real, imagined or otherwise.
It's ridiculous to think that shutting down the voice of the people, and the flow of information, is the answer. Fuck that. We need to start finding alternative ways of mass communication that don't require the internet, before it's too late. :/
ReplyDeletewell the pony express worked well screw the president he needs to stop worring about the fricken internet and get the oil out of the gulf of mexico stupid presdient
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