Don't freak out about CISPA again (yet)
Summary: We don't know enough about this revised version of the bill to freak out, and it still has a bunch of hurdles to get through. But, if it does get through the House, and if we still don't know much about it, go ahead and freak out.
The revised version of CISPA, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, is on its way to the House floor. On Wednesday, it passed the House Intelligence (two words you don't normally see together) panel, and its next stop is a full House vote.
This doesn't mean CISPA is a done deal. As many of you know, I called the earlier incarnation of CISPA "more heinous than SOPA". Whether this new version includes bug fixes or adds new "features" remains unclear.
The problem is, we really don't know what is in this version. So much for transparency. Even though we don't know what the bill contains, The Hill reports we can rest assured because such champions of privacy as Google, Yahoo, and Oracle that support the bill, saying Congress is "taking steps to address privacy concerns".
Steps. Whatever that means.
I've talked about these issues before. For example, Ben Franklin would say our online liberty is the same as liberty itself. On the other hand, as a cyberwarfare advisor to various government officials, agencies, and NGOs, I'm also quite aware of the very real threat that's out there. We need comprehensive cybersecurity protections, and that means we need modern laws that address those protections.
The problem, of course, is letting our lawmakers make laws about cybersecurity is probably a mistake.
It may also be a mistake to put too much of our trust in the very large tech companies, many of whom trade almost entirely on the personal data we've willfully volunteered in return for trinkets like free email and the ability to "Like" someone we've never met or wish would like us back.
The key rights issue of CISPA — and any other cybersecurity legislation — has to be clearly and constitutionally answering the question, when it comes to cybersecurity law, where do we draw the line on information sharing?
For now, we don't know enough about CISPA to freak out. It still has to make it through the House, through the Senate, and then to the President's desk. Last time, President Obama threatened to veto it. We also don't know where he stands, again, because we really don't know enough about this CISPA beta release.
So, that's why I'm telling you not to get all freaked out. Just because the panel passed the bill, don't freak out. Even if the House passes the bill, don't freak out. But once it makes it to the Senate, and if we don't know any more about what's inside it than now, then it will most definitely be time to freak out.
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Talkback
Yes, do get freaked out about it
We don't need CISPA, law enforcement already has all the tools and justifications for using those tools that they need. We do not need to loosen the standards for them once again.
Don't wait until it is too late
If the law was to be done right it would be designed similar to an open source project with the full participation of the American public. Without this level of transparency, abuse through secrecy will naturally result.
What proof or indication do we have that the designers of this proposal have any true concern for the public welfare?
If government snooping leads to deletion of evidence ...
Catch 22
I could care less if the government is snooping on me as I am not doing anything so what's the point other than wasted tax dollars! I do agree with Vapur9 as well, but our government needs a certain amount of leeway when it comes to protecting the ground we walk on, it's a Catch-22. This is an area that you're damned if you do , but may be dead if you don't; as I said, Catch-22!
I don't think they need much, if at all, leeway
What we need on the internet is more privacy and more encryption of our communications, so that government cannot monitor them. Sure, that will allow criminals to not be found by the government, but so would using a coded message in a letter.
This Bill is BS
Like Lerianis10 out online liberties will be no more if this or any bill similar to this passes.
Freedoms are going away.
I am 75 years old and you young ones do not now and never will know what freedom was like.
Very, very sad.
Welcome to Amerika.
Al-Quaeda is laughing at us
Yes, freak out
The government, on the other hand, has police authority at its disposal. And there is no way to know whose hands it will fall into in the future. It could be some abusive criminal of a President (take your pick) Democrat (e.g. Obama) / Republican (Bush).