According to a representative of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation the Cyber Intelligence and Sharing Protection Act will be shelved by the Senate.
Intellihub.com
April 24, 2013
This comes one week after the cyber security bill was passed by the House of Representatives.
US News reported, ”We’re not taking [CISPA] up,” the committee representative says. “Staff and senators are divvying up the issues and the key provisions everyone agrees would need to be handled if we’re going to strengthen cybersecurity. They’ll be drafting separate bills.”
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V., chairman of the committee, said the passage of CISPA was “important,” but said the bill’s “privacy protections are insufficient.”
After CISPA was discussed behind closed doors in private the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) all spoke against the bill.
The commerce representative says that the Senate committee is “working toward separate bills” to improve cybersecurity, which are currently being drafted.”
If passed it would have allowed companies to decide which government entity they want to share cyber threat data with. Critics worry this would empower agencies such as the National Security Agency (NSA) to access an even larger pool of information than it currently does. It also granted companies immunity from legal action if they share data with the government.
There will likely be no new cyber security bills worked on by the Senate for at least 3 months. Although CISPA is stopped in its tracks other less intrusive cyber security bills are set to pass. With the government continuing to warn of cyber terror attacks it seems this is only the beginning of legislation related to information sharing. There continues to be a fine line between a citizens privacy and the governments willingess to spy.
Contrary to what many believe the internet is not a place where your information is private and secure. No, more and more the government views your information as their business. Take the IRS for example. According to a report in the HiIl the agency’s own documents state:
“In a 2009 handbook, the IRS said the Fourth Amendment does not protect emails because Internet users “do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in such communications.” A 2010 presentation by the IRS Office of General Counsel reiterated the policy.”
The American Civil Liberties Union discovered the documents from a Freedom of Information Act Request. They are continuing to fight for more information on the matter.
The Anti Counterfeiting Trade Act (ACTA) is an international treaty that would regulate intellectual property. A number of countries, including the US have signed the treaty but only Japan has ratified it thus far. As the United States continues to pressure Canada to align with the treaty, a new bill, the Combating Counterfeit Products Act, has been introduced. The bill would begin the process of Canadian obedience to ACTA.
Wit so many different agencies and corporations pursuing your information, you must accept that currently you are being spied on. This does not have to be the standard however. I suggest starting wtih Encryption. Protecting yourself by surfing and shopping anonymously online.
Next I would start to investigate alternative DNS servers and the Open NIC project. These are both possibly ways to create alternative networks to the mainstream internet. This would allow communication in a way that is not as easily spied on or located. Even without the possible need for communication with the resistance this technology can help us advance ourselves in the now.
Imagine a network of communities that all own and operate their own autonomous networks. As a person travels through they could access the networks via wifi. Each network could list specific resources, restaurants, farmers markets, gardens, businesses, and community centers to guests passing through. These would compete with the mainstream internet.
These are just a couple of quick ideas to remedy our situation. The Obama Administration believes cyber attacks are a greater threat than traditional terrorism. Whether that is just rhetoric or reality is up to you to decide. What is clear is that the free and open internet is under attack.
If you care about privacy, or uncensored information than stand up. Organize protests, marches and outreach groups. Pursue alternatives, build localized networks and continue to educate yourself. Only action will serve us at this point. By choosing to put aside possible differences and working together we can save the interconnected free flow of ideas we all know and love.
Sources:
^http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/04/25/aclu-cispa-is-dead-for-now
^http://intellihub.com/2013/04/23/the-return-of-acta-u-s-dictating-canadas-intellectual-property-laws
^http://intellihub.com/2013/04/23/fighting-cispa-with-encryption
*****
Derrick Broze is a founding member of The Houston Free Thinkers.
He writes for IntelliHub.com a popular independent news website.
He can be heard on Orion Talk Radio, Local Live Houston and the upcoming Unbound Radio.
Find his workatwww.theconsciousresistance.com and www.thehoustonfreethinkers.com
Intellihub.com
CISPA Dead, Threat Remains
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