Internet 'kill switch' bill reintroduced
Summary
A Senate proposal that has become known as the Internet "kill switch" bill was reintroduced this week, with a tweak
Topics
A 221-page Senate bill would hand Homeland Security the power to issue decrees to certain privately owned computer systems after the president declares a "national cyberemergency." A section in the new bill notes that does not include "the authority to shut down the Internet," and the name of the bill has been changed to include the phrase "Internet freedom."
"The emergency measures in our bill apply in a precise and targeted way only to our most critical infrastructure," Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said yesterday about the legislation she is sponsoring with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn). "We cannot afford to wait for a cyber 9/11 before our government finally realizes the importance of protecting our digital resources."
But the revised wording (PDF) continues to alarm civil liberties groups and other critics of the bill, who say the language would allow the government to shut down portions of the Internet or restrict access to certain Web sites or types of content. Even former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak didn't actually "shut down" the Internet: at least at first, a trickle of connections
For more on this story, read Internet 'kill switch' bill gets a makeover on CNET News.
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@Chad Strunk OK, how about remember the Arizona? Remember the Lusitania? Remember the Alamo? Boston Massacre? The Plague?
@trust2112@... We still remember the Arizona every December 7th, just we have moved on to a memorial ceremony instead of the political issues.
Those who give up a little liberty to gain a little security will gain neither, and lose both.
Susan Collins (R-Maine) & Joe Lieberman (I-Conn) are two of the top twelve anti Second Amendment Senators out there. Throw in Schumer (D-NY) and we'd have an anti freedom trifecta.
Libya, Egypt...soon the USA.
Bank on it..they want to shut down the Internet so they can plan and deploy their CIA psyop to scare the nation.
I've got my amateur radio already and when the time comes the only way to communicate will be via these devices, Obama (or whoever is President) will shut off our communications and leave us in the dark and blame it on someone else.
Bank on it..they want to shut down the Internet so they can plan and deploy their CIA psyop to scare the nation.
I've got my amateur radio already and when the time comes the only way to communicate will be via these devices, Obama (or whoever is President) will shut off our communications and leave us in the dark and blame it on someone else.
@Ron Burgundy
The problem will be finding someone who wants to talk to your Stupid_ass on a ham!
I can hear you now: "hello? This is Ron Burgun, er, Cyberslam, er...is anybody out there?"
{crickets}
The problem will be finding someone who wants to talk to your Stupid_ass on a ham!
I can hear you now: "hello? This is Ron Burgun, er, Cyberslam, er...is anybody out there?"
{crickets}
@SonofaSailor Sorry, no one is listening to your stalking @ss
Loserboy.
Loserboy.
@Ron Burgundy
That's not a way around anything. They'll just triangulate your signal and shut you down. They'll do worse if you are operating without a license. But, if you are licensed, and transmitting your ID at the required 10 minute interval, your personal contact information is publicly available on the FCC web site. You'll have lots of friends stopping by to permanently borrow your equipment.
That's not a way around anything. They'll just triangulate your signal and shut you down. They'll do worse if you are operating without a license. But, if you are licensed, and transmitting your ID at the required 10 minute interval, your personal contact information is publicly available on the FCC web site. You'll have lots of friends stopping by to permanently borrow your equipment.
@Ron Burgundy
Unless you go mobile for a few minutes at a time, it's easier to shut you down than the internet.
Unless you go mobile for a few minutes at a time, it's easier to shut you down than the internet.
Time for you Internet Junkies to find your fix elsewhere. Maybe your local library for a start? You do remember books right?
@james347
The Internet is not an entertainment medium. It's the life breath of our culture and now the primary source of all information and free speech.
The Internet is not an entertainment medium. It's the life breath of our culture and now the primary source of all information and free speech.
@tomogden
It's inarguably the source of much of the conspiracy nonsense, ignorance, stupidity, pseudo-science, hate and crime that plagues our "culture." If that's any kind of "life breath", we're in some deep doodoo.
It's inarguably the source of much of the conspiracy nonsense, ignorance, stupidity, pseudo-science, hate and crime that plagues our "culture." If that's any kind of "life breath", we're in some deep doodoo.
where would people go to fight the great Apple vs. Android battle?
@Ellisonx - Or the perennial favorite, "[Fill in the name of your least favorite Fortune 100 conglomerate here] is the root of all horribleness and has nothing less than world domination in its sights" arguments...
Ron Burgundy is right. Libya, Egypt... soon the USA. This bill makes us look hypocritical. Our government "rims" North African and middle east governments for shutting down internet access and yet we have legislators who are trying to do the same thing here! I'm no conspiracy theorist, but when I see crap like this, it gives me pause. Please, Mr. Legislator, limit the use of the 9/11 Boogeyman and keep your hands off the Internet.
@ccervant1@...
Well, we also have legislators here who are doing their damnedest to set up an American Christian Taliban, too.
Well, we also have legislators here who are doing their damnedest to set up an American Christian Taliban, too.
NO.
*thwaps senators on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper*
NO.
*thwaps senators on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper*
NO.
@jmwells21 I think this is the best response that I have seen so far, I follow up with another rolled-up newspaper.
@jmwells21
But you forgot to wrap the newspaper around a 2" pipe.
But you forgot to wrap the newspaper around a 2" pipe.
@Me_too That's for tomorrow when they haven't learned. We as civilized people need to give them the chance to learn first, just the newspaper, then positively reinforce the lessons, pipe inside the newspaper.
@techrepublic@ You are correct but when can we load the pipe with something that goes KA-BOOM ?
Anyone who thinks that the US is a free country and that our leaders govern benignly should stop drinking the Kool-Aid they were given in public school.
@sissy sue
Perhaps; however, I'll sit and wait patiently while you come up with one that's better. The kind of "liberty" that some people want is simply not possible in any population of more than about ten people.
Perhaps; however, I'll sit and wait patiently while you come up with one that's better. The kind of "liberty" that some people want is simply not possible in any population of more than about ten people.
It's the internet that protects us from government, not the other way around. Bad idea.
gary
gary
@gdstark13
I think we need each to protect us from the other. Far as I know, there are no Nigerian princes in Congress trying to get into my bank account.
I think we need each to protect us from the other. Far as I know, there are no Nigerian princes in Congress trying to get into my bank account.
@thayford
It has been that way for too long already. Need a House overhaul, and a Presidential overhaul, as well.
It has been that way for too long already. Need a House overhaul, and a Presidential overhaul, as well.
@dhays
You get your overhauls every two, four and six years; if you can't get enough voters to see it your way, then you're wrong.
You get your overhauls every two, four and six years; if you can't get enough voters to see it your way, then you're wrong.
Way to go, Ron. Ham radio has been the voice of the people worldwide for many tears. Flip a switch, no internet. You can't stop private radio stations from spreading the word.
@agafop3@...
Did you know that you can broadcast digitally over ham radio?
MwaaaaHaHa
Did you know that you can broadcast digitally over ham radio?
MwaaaaHaHa
@agafop3@...
What was that? You're breaking up!
What was that? You're breaking up!
Come on... you people actually think this bill or for that matter any bill would pass right now. With everything split the way it is this bill would never pass based on personal grudges and some that believe it is wrong.
It's impossible to come up with a scenario to justify this. No cyber infection can be as bad as snuffing out the Internet entirely.
It has nothing to do with terrorism it has everything to do with controlling the American citizen and nothing more....
and the name of the bill has been changed to include the phrase "Internet freedom."
That's politicians trying to make crap palatable to people.
No president, no matter what the ideology, should have any kind of "kill switch" which hinders in any way, the flow of information.
That's politicians trying to make crap palatable to people.
No president, no matter what the ideology, should have any kind of "kill switch" which hinders in any way, the flow of information.
Maybe instead of a "kill switch" they increase spending into things that would help us in the wake of a cyber-attack.. Research into ways of damage mitigation, security education and support resources in the event of an attack. Lets be realists, attacks happen everyday across the internet, if we shut down the media we use to collaberate then the attackers have won the day. That is why they are attacking, we need to strengthen our internet infrastructure, make it resilent to attacks by being better able to adapt. The "kill switch" is not the answer, smarter infrastuctures and people are the answer. We need to stay one step ahead of the bad guys.
The part I don't get is why our leaders jump to the extreme? I guess our job as the people are to reign them back. If you don't like this bill call your representive and tell them NO, if they still vote for it, then don't vote for them again, and if it's really bad, start a movement to have them removed. The people of egypt showed the world that it can be done.
Also, I do agree.. it is time to move beyond the 9/11 scare phase, and while we are at it, can we get rid of that darn threat level crap? Its a fear fest in the airports, I dread the process you go through at the airport. I use to love to fly... Enough is enough people.
The part I don't get is why our leaders jump to the extreme? I guess our job as the people are to reign them back. If you don't like this bill call your representive and tell them NO, if they still vote for it, then don't vote for them again, and if it's really bad, start a movement to have them removed. The people of egypt showed the world that it can be done.
Also, I do agree.. it is time to move beyond the 9/11 scare phase, and while we are at it, can we get rid of that darn threat level crap? Its a fear fest in the airports, I dread the process you go through at the airport. I use to love to fly... Enough is enough people.
My, my... The Internet was designed to survive a nuclear holocaust but will it be able to survive a mindless bureaucracy?
and one is a lot easier and less violent to implement than the other.
idea, go to WashingTON of crap and line up the idiots and tell them to count off by 40, bang...
Send them back after telling them we will be back in 3 months to repeat this culling of them but we will modify the 40 depending on how they do this time.
Send them back after telling them we will be back in 3 months to repeat this culling of them but we will modify the 40 depending on how they do this time.
@Me_too
Better idea: YOU move to Libya and go to work for Khadafi. Your great minds seem to think alike.
Better idea: YOU move to Libya and go to work for Khadafi. Your great minds seem to think alike.
...by the tone of the replies here. Now, the proverbial "whadda ya gonna do about it?" It's no help knowing things are bad, and watching it slide down the slope to perdition.
I agree with the 'Egypt-Libya-America' commenter. We just better make sure the solution part of the dialectic goes the right way...
I agree with the 'Egypt-Libya-America' commenter. We just better make sure the solution part of the dialectic goes the right way...
Not as huge as the net, but better than nothing: IF some crazed "President Walker" (Wisconsin) shut down the net because of resistance to his corporate masters, people could resurrect the old telephone-based BBS systems to spread the word on a more limited basis. Paranoid enough to dust off your old modem and test it?
@bobmatch@...
The fact of the matter is that government has always had a "kill switch" handy for every form of communications technology we've ever used.
The fact of the matter is that government has always had a "kill switch" handy for every form of communications technology we've ever used.
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