Yesterday was a big day for the Internet. CISPA (H.R. 3523) the bill that we spoke about a few weeks ago, was approved in the House by a vote of 248-168. It wasn’t even supposed to be discussed until today, which is why it’s even more shocking. The bill went through a rush vote and was quickly passed with a few minor amendments.
What does this mean? This means that the bill will now move onto the Senate for approval. If the Senate approves it, then it could still be vetoed by the President, since his advisors have already threatened to veto it.
An excerpt from that statement:
“The bill also lacks sufficient limitations on the sharing of personally identifiable information between private entities and does not contain adequate oversight or accountability measures necessary to ensure that the data is used only for appropriate purposes. Citizens have a right to know that corporations will be held legally accountable for failing to safeguard personal information adequately.”
The bill passed yesterday with some amendments, but were those amendments enough to protect us and remove the severe vagueness of the bill? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but no, they actually do the exact opposite. The bill is even vaguer and invading. The bill basically says that the 4th Amendment doesn’t apply online anymore. Ridiculous to say the least.
An excerpt from a CNET article:
“CISPA would “waive every single privacy law ever enacted in the name of cybersecurity,” Rep. Jared Polis, a Colorado Democrat and onetime Web entrepreneur, said during the debate. “Allowing the military and NSA to spy on Americans on American soil goes against every principle this country was founded on.”
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and author of CISPA, responded by telling his colleagues to ignore “all the things they’re saying about the bill that are not true.” He pleaded: “Stand for America! Support this bill!”
The amendments to the bill can be viewed here.
So, what can you do? Follow this link to quickly and easily send a message to your Senators.
I think this government needs a tune up.