The federal government would have “absolute power” to shut down the Internet under the terms of a new US Senate bill being pushed by Joe Lieberman, legislation which would hand President Obama a figurative “kill switch” to seize control of the world wide web in response to a Homeland Security directive.
Lieberman has been pushing for government regulation of the Internet for years under the guise of cybersecurity, but this new bill goes even further in handing emergency powers over to the feds which could be used to silence free speech under the pretext of a national emergency.
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The 197-page bill (PDF) is entitled Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act, or PCNAA.Technology lobbying group TechAmerica warned that the legislation created “the potential for absolute power,” while the Center for Democracy and Technology worried that the bill’s emergency powers “include authority to shut down or limit internet traffic on private systems.”
The bill has the vehement support of Senator Jay Rockefeller, who last year asked during a congressional hearing, “Would it had been better if we’d have never invented the Internet?” while fearmongering about cyber-terrorists preparing attacks.
The largest Internet-based corporations are seemingly happy with the bill, primarily because it contains language that will give them immunity from civil lawsuits and also reimburse them for any costs incurred if the Internet is shut down for a period of time.
Once again, Lieberman treating the United States like it’s Gaza.
I have a better idea – make vulnerable targets install their own kill switch. The idea that a government can “shut off” what has become a necessity in many cases, is ridiculous. Think of how much we’ve grown to depend on it – for news, phone, whatever. Lieberman really needs to find something else to do with his time – he’s certainly not doing anything to help his country.
Awake said, on June 17th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
I guess that under your logic there should be no way to protect the electric grid, the water supply, the telephone system.
Yeah, we wouldn’t want those filthy terrists poisoning all the pixels on the Internet. Our eyes might get burned or something.
Don’t panic. The 1st Amend loving Dems and Obie Admin would NEVER pass something like this…
I find it interesting.
I would think this is another back door, to taking your rights away for owning a Computer.
Just like the one passed about Laptop searches at the borders. Which has been Limited to COPY ONLY and hand it BACK to the person.
And WHY would they need to search your data as you go across the border? COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT? Terrorist activity?? Invasion of PRIVACY?? Finding Pictures and sites you Patronize with Illegal materials??
This will lead to Internet laws WORSE then Australia has been TRYING to do in the last 10 years.
Sure… give the government the ‘off switch’ to the only true forum of free speech left. That sounds like a great idea… to a Fascist maybe.. Can someone tell me one good reason to have a kill switch for the internet? Joe Lieberman has the technology skills of a lemming and Jay Rockefeller is an elitist… and you trust these guys?
Cyber attacks and so called ‘bully hate speech’ are only excuses to give the Feds more power over the internet. I say let the private sector Sys Admins do their jobs(who are infinitely more competent and fair than any government agency), not the government bureaucrats. The internet has survived many massive attacks just fine thus far hasn’t it? When was the last time the internet was ‘down’? It was designed from it’s conception to be redundant, reliable, and de-centralized.
# 5 sargasso has a point… “Would you hire a nanny who brandishes a machete?” That is what you get much of the time with nanny state control. Any government that takes away basic freedoms and achieves absolute power in history ALWAYS goes bad and the citizens suffer greatly. We are no different.
My God, how can many of you trust a government that already has given itself the pseudo-legal power to intimidate, torture, imprison, and kill anyone in the States with indiscretion, and no guarantee of a trial? And now they want an internet kill switch? I’m almost certain that Lieberman and Rockefeller would just say “shut up slave” to any protest and go about their business.
I have this undeniable fondness for basic human freedom and the Interwebitubes that I just can’t seem to shake.
With all the interconnection, I wonder just how anyone is going to accomplish this. Gonna shut down the telcos, too? How about Canada and Mexico? Does this include Puerto Rico and the Bahamas? Makes me want to buy a satellite interconnect right now. Screw the legislation.
This explains this story from 60 Minutes running again last weekend. The whole way through the story I was screaming at the screen, “Why the hell are critical systems on the Internet in the first place?” How f***ing stupid are these transmission interconnect operators? And why the hell didn’t Steve Kroft ask that question?
One of the big costs of laying fiber is getting access to rights of way and/or poles. The electric companies own the poles and usually define the right of way. The power companies were the first to use fiber optics for data transmission because electrical interference is not possible. If they really have moved their infrastructure to the public Internet it’s time to get off the grid and fast.
All this power for the President and government… what could possibly go wrong?
I am glad I still have this software:
Wildcat! is a bulletin board system (BBS) software package developed in 1986 by Mustang Software to create a dial-up BBS operating under DOS. By the release of Version 4 it was the basis for over 50,000 bulletin boards worldwide.
Would it be possible to create our own network? You know, like the old FidoNet?
How could it be linked? With hacked WiFi maybe?
It’s a crazy idea, I know.
>> bobbo,
>> VOTE ALL INCUMBENTS OUT OF OFFICE!!!
Big waste of time.
Within week, all the new guys will be corrupted, too.
What we really need is:
GET THE BIG MONEY OUT OF POLITICS!!!!
I have a better idea: a switch to turn off Joe Lieberman.
U.S. out of U.S. now!
Well…..
Did they turn off the phones during WWII? No
Elton John once said that the internet should be turned off. The RIAA and MPAA probably agree.
If the g’vnt turns off the internet, how will I make my online tax payments?
Is the Kill Switch why your site was down HALF THE DAY?
Great article thanks for sharing your blog i enjoyed reading on it i will wait for the next update..
“Kill switch” B.S.! It should be ‘Kill valve’ Its a series of tubes don’t ya know?
Drobbo;
The Internet IS silly, in case you haven’t read your own posts lately.
Build a wireless Internet that duplicates, and removes the power from, the corporate Internet.
Read about OLSR.