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klook

(12,134 posts)
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 11:57 AM Apr 2013

If you're not afraid of #CISPA, you're not really paying attention

As GiaGiovanni posted Friday, CISPA (the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act) is not needed for security, will SHRED civil liberties. In case you still need convincing:

If you're not afraid of #CISPA, you're not really paying attention
by JD Rucker, TECHi.com
SOPA was a black eye for the US government. Nothing in the last few decades can compare to the complete turnaround Washington DC had to make once the people of the internet and websites across the web made their opposition to the bill known back in January, 2012. Now, the politicians and other entities have learned from their mistakes. This time, they have been able to pull off the unthinkable.

They have successfully pulled the wool over the eyes of the American people. The public outrage that stopped SOPA has been replaced by solemn acceptance by some, disinterest from others, and a complete lack of understanding by most of what the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) really means to Americans and the rest of the world.
- more

How do you feel about your personal information and records of your online activities being monitored and tracked, not only by businesses, but also by the National Security Agency?

CISPA is a dangerous "cybersecurity" bill that would grant companies more power to obtain "threat" information (such as from private communications of users) and to disclose that data to the government without a warrant -- including sending data to the National Security Agency.
- Electronic Frontier Foundation


The federal government’s cybersecurity program for the private sector (other than defense contractors) has always been in civilian, not military hands. This is important because civilian control means more transparency and accountability. This builds trust, public acceptance and industry participation. Last year, the lead Senate cybersecurity bill (the “Lieberman bill”) would have clearly affirmed civilian control. The Administration endorsed the Senate bill as did the intelligence community.

CISPA is the outlier on this issue: It declines to affirm civilian control and would thereby allow power and leadership to shift to the National Security Agency. It does this by inviting companies to share cyber threat information with the government agency of their choice. Many will choose NSA (in large part because they don’t think DHS has sufficient expertise, which has gone to NSA). With the flow of information will likely come increased power and increased resources, worsening the reliance on NSA and further diminishing the standing of DHS.

CISPA’s threat to civil liberties and privacy does not stop there. The bill’s flaws include:
  • Permitting companies to share cyber threat information with the government without making any effort to strip out personally identifiable information that is not necessary to describe the cyber threat;

  • Permitting companies to “hack back” by immunizing them from civil and criminal liability even if they make reckless and negligent decisions based on cyber threat information shared or obtained under the bill; and

  • Pre-empting all privacy laws (and all other laws) to permit information sharing.

- Center for Democracy and Technology

A few more links:

I'm not ready to throw in the towel on online privacy, and I hope nobody else here is either.
[font size="6" color="red"]Stop CISPA! Contact your Senators today!
[/font]
8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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If you're not afraid of #CISPA, you're not really paying attention (Original Post) klook Apr 2013 OP
I've already signed a few petitions- WhoIsNumberNone Apr 2013 #1
Kick G_j Apr 2013 #2
I keep signing and tweeting and Facebooking this. GoneOffShore Apr 2013 #3
Hammering weasels? Is that like Whack-a-Mole? klook Apr 2013 #5
kick and rec Demo_Chris Apr 2013 #4
"Your digital privacy is irrelevant." klook Apr 2013 #6
Lean on your senators to oppose CISPA - Keep track of positions via Senate Whip Count klook Apr 2013 #7
Good links. CrispyQ Apr 2013 #8

WhoIsNumberNone

(7,875 posts)
1. I've already signed a few petitions-
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 11:59 AM
Apr 2013

although I doubt if 100 million signatures would stop this going through. The government doesn't listen to us anymore.

GoneOffShore

(17,309 posts)
3. I keep signing and tweeting and Facebooking this.
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 12:32 PM
Apr 2013

No harm to keep doing it.

And it may just help.

We've got to keep hammering at these weasels.

(sorry for the mixing of the metaphors)

klook

(12,134 posts)
5. Hammering weasels? Is that like Whack-a-Mole?
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 12:41 PM
Apr 2013

Good -- thanks for the help. It wasn't long ago that we all had our hair on fire over Cheney-Bush's warrantless wiretapping. This is even worse.

klook

(12,134 posts)
6. "Your digital privacy is irrelevant."
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 01:08 PM
Apr 2013
Reddit Cofounder Calls on Google’s Larry Page to Oppose CISPA
4/17/2013, Wired.com
The cofounder of the popular social news site Reddit has called on the leaders of Google, Facebook and Twitter to help defeat a controversial cybersecurity bill that would compromise the privacy of their users if passed by lawmakers.

“I’m hoping that all of these tech companies take the stand that their privacy policies matter, their users’ privacy matters, and no legislation like CISPA should take that away,” Alexis Ohanian, former owner of Reddit, said in a video posted yesterday. ”If someone wants access to our private home or to our mail we would say, Well go get a warrant. Right? CISPA basically says, uh, not necessary. Your digital privacy is irrelevant.”
- more

Hope everybody here is onboard opposing this attempt to shred our privacy protections.
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