Should Obama Control the Internet?

MAFiA v2 · 04-14-2009, 06:16 PM

A new bill would give the President emergency authority to halt web traffic and access private data.

Quote:

Should President Obama have the power to shut down domestic Internet traffic during a state of emergency?

Senators John Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) think so. On Wednesday they introduced a bill to establish the Office of the National Cybersecurity Advisor—an arm of the executive branch that would have vast power to monitor and control Internet traffic to protect against threats to critical cyber infrastructure. That broad power is rattling some civil libertarians.

The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 (PDF) gives the president the ability to "declare a cybersecurity emergency" and shut down or limit Internet traffic in any "critical" information network "in the interest of national security." The bill does not define a critical information network or a cybersecurity emergency. That definition would be left to the president.

The bill does not only add to the power of the president. It also grants the Secretary of Commerce "access to all relevant data concerning [critical] networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access." This means he or she can monitor or access any data on private or public networks without regard to privacy laws.

Rockefeller made cybersecurity one of his key issues as a member of the Senate intelligence committee, which he chaired until last year. He now heads the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which will take up this bill.

"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," Rockefeller said in a statement. Snowe echoed her colleague, saying, "if we fail to take swift action, we, regrettably, risk a cyber-Katrina."

But the wide powers outlined in the Rockefeller-Snowe legislation has at least one Internet advocacy group worried. "The cybersecurity threat is real," says Leslie Harris, head of the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), "but such a drastic federal intervention in private communications technology and networks could harm both security and privacy."

The bill could undermine the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), says CDT senior counsel Greg Nojeim. That law, enacted in the mid '80s, requires law enforcement seek a warrant before tapping in to data transmissions between computers.

"It's an incredibly broad authority," Nojeim says, pointing out that existing privacy laws "could fall to this authority."

Jennifer Granick, civil liberties director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, says that granting such power to the Commerce secretary could actually cause networks to be less safe. When one person can access all information on a network, "it makes it more vulnerable to intruders," Granick says. "You've basically established a path for the bad guys to skip down."

The bill's scope, she says, is "contrary to what the Constitution promises us." That's because of the impact it could have on Internet users' privacy rights: If the Commerce Department uncovers evidence of illegal activity when accessing "critical" networks, that information could be used against a potential defendant, even if the department never had the intent to find incriminating evidence. And this might violate the Constitutional protection against searches without cause.

"Once information is accessed, it can be used for whatever purpose, no matter the original reason for accessing something," Granick says. "Who's interested in this [bill]? Law enforcement and people in the security industry who want to ensure more government dollars go to them."

Nojeim, though, thinks it's possible the bill's powers could be trimmed as it moves through Congress. "We will be working with them to clarify just what is needed and how to accomplish that," he says. "We're hopeful that some of the very broad powers that the bill would confer won't be included."

Source-

THREATS · 04-14-2009, 11:36 PM

hell no. fuck that.

mrawesomeness · 04-15-2009, 09:29 AM

Damn politics cant stand freedom of speech anymore.

Nanse · 04-16-2009, 03:11 AM

Lol he can't control the internet it isn't just in the USA

can he?

MAFiA v2 · 04-16-2009, 03:38 AM

no the usa has servers that extend nation wide, if he wanted to, he can, other nations will do it to

mrawesomeness · 04-16-2009, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nanse

Lol he can't control the internet it isn't just in the USA

can he?

He can force the isp to shut down internet for costumors in crisis times.

YTG_Bank$ · 04-16-2009, 06:45 AM

it's not gonna happen yet anyways..
Epuore is not on bored..

so, it might be put off for about a year or so but i think it will happen..

the bill his been in congress since last may [under bush] but it never went anywhere..

but people can bitch all they wanna it not gonna stop it from happening..

Nicky Santoro · 04-16-2009, 12:53 PM

he need to calm down with that shittt

CaliforniKated · 04-16-2009, 04:51 PM

First searchin' pc's now that? WTF? Fuck that shit...

supragtx · 04-16-2009, 04:57 PM

nnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooo

i make a living from the internet

Dema Burt Redux · 05-09-2009, 04:41 AM

Jeff should!

04-15-2009, 09:29 AM	#3
mrawesomeness Shutmedown Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Antartics Posts: 3,972 Repped: 1,089 Repped 1,249 Times in 362 Posts Neg Reps: 91 Neg Repped at 88 Times in 72 Posts	Damn politics cant stand freedom of speech anymore. __________________ Chuck Norris and Mr.awesomeness walked into a bar. The bar was instantly destroyed, as that level of awesome cannot be contained in one building.

04-16-2009, 03:11 AM	#4
Nanse Da Purple Pimp Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: I'm from N-E-W Jerz., where plenty murders occurz Posts: 3,131 Repped: 692 Repped 376 Times in 236 Posts Neg Reps: 49 Neg Repped at 75 Times in 74 Posts	Lol he can't control the internet it isn't just in the USA can he? __________________ I'm the M.B.P., Most Ballin-ist Player Make my own rules, bitch call me the mayor

04-16-2009, 03:38 AM	#5
MAFiA v2 WHO YOU KNOW BANG?? Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 4,597 Repped: 832 Repped 3,101 Times in 799 Posts Neg Reps: 24 Neg Repped at 57 Times in 49 Posts	no the usa has servers that extend nation wide, if he wanted to, he can, other nations will do it to __________________

04-16-2009, 06:45 AM	#7
YTG_Bank$ Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: - Texas - Posts: 10,531 Repped: 2,788 Repped 20,058 Times in 1,825 Posts Neg Reps: 5 Neg Repped at 23 Times in 19 Posts	it's not gonna happen yet anyways.. Epuore is not on bored.. so, it might be put off for about a year or so but i think it will happen.. the bill his been in congress since last may [under bush] but it never went anywhere.. but people can bitch all they wanna it not gonna stop it from happening.. __________________

04-16-2009, 12:53 PM	#8
Nicky Santoro da creater nigguh Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: playin online poker b Posts: 971 Repped: 143 Repped 182 Times in 107 Posts Neg Reps: 8 Neg Repped at 6 Times in 6 Posts	he need to calm down with that shittt __________________

04-14-2009, 11:36 PM	#2
THREATS Veteran Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 9,681 Repped: 525 Repped 263 Times in 138 Posts Neg Reps: 25 Neg Repped at 16 Times in 14 Posts	hell no. fuck that.

04-16-2009, 04:51 PM	#9
CaliforniKated Banned Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Venus Posts: 4,035 Repped: 2,035 Repped 496 Times in 267 Posts Neg Reps: 223 Neg Repped at 204 Times in 130 Posts	First searchin' pc's now that? WTF? Fuck that shit... Last edited by CaliforniKated; 04-16-2009 at 05:10 PM.

04-16-2009, 04:57 PM	#10
supragtx Im a wªlkin ßitch magnet Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: eAsT hARlEm Nu YaAAWwWwK Posts: 5,887 Repped: 505 Repped 1,429 Times in 669 Posts Neg Reps: 31 Neg Repped at 159 Times in 144 Posts	nnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooo i make a living from the internet __________________ [12:55AM] sbrecords: ziz is there an ignore button for a member in the chatbox? [12:56AM] Mixtape Assassin: if there wuz one i wouldnt even have read your message just now lol

05-09-2009, 04:41 AM	#11
Dema Burt Redux No parkin' baby! Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Zapp Posts: 202 Repped: 24 Repped 20 Times in 11 Posts Neg Reps: 3 Neg Repped at 18 Times in 5 Posts	Jeff should! __________________ Permanance cant exist in a temporary conscious

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