Bill gives Obama power to shut down Internet

[Wallace108]

I eagerly await the cries of outrage from liberal free-speech advocates (the same ones who attacked George Bush over the Patriot Act) ...


New Bill Gives Obama ‘Kill Switch’ To Shut Down The Internet

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The federal government would have “absolute power” to shut down the Internet under the terms of a new US Senate bill being pushed by Joe Lieberman, legislation which would hand President Obama a figurative “kill switch” to seize control of the world wide web in response to a Homeland Security directive.

Lieberman has been pushing for government regulation of the Internet for years under the guise of cybersecurity, but this new bill goes even further in handing emergency powers over to the feds which could be used to silence free speech under the pretext of a national emergency.

“The legislation says that companies such as broadband providers, search engines or software firms that the US Government selects “shall immediately comply with any emergency measure or action developed” by the Department of Homeland Security. Anyone failing to comply would be fined,” reports ZDNet’s Declan McCullagh.

The 197-page bill is entitled Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act, or PCNAA.

Technology lobbying group TechAmerica warned that the legislation created “the potential for absolute power,” while the Center for Democracy and Technology worried that the bill’s emergency powers “include authority to shut down or limit internet traffic on private systems.”

The bill has the vehement support of Senator Jay Rockefeller, who last year asked during a congressional hearing, “Would it had been better if we’d have never invented the Internet?” while fearmongering about cyber-terrorists preparing attacks.

The largest Internet-based corporations are seemingly happy with the bill, primarily because it contains language that will give them immunity from civil lawsuits and also reimburse them for any costs incurred if the Internet is shut down for a period of time.

“If there’s an “incident related to a cyber vulnerability” after the President has declared an emergency and the affected company has followed federal standards, plaintiffs’ lawyers cannot collect damages for economic harm. And if the harm is caused by an emergency order from the Feds, not only does the possibility of damages virtually disappear, but the US Treasury will even pick up the private company’s tab,” writes McCullagh.

Tom Gann, McAfee’s vice president for government relations, described the bill as a “very important piece of legislation”.

As we have repeatedly warned for years, the federal government is desperate to seize control of the Internet because the establishment is petrified at the fact that alternative and independent media outlets are now eclipsing corporate media outlets in terms of audience share, trust, and influence.

We witnessed another example of this on Monday when establishment Congressman Bob Etheridge was publicly shamed after he was shown on video assaulting two college students who asked him a question. Two kids with a flip cam and a You Tube account could very well have changed the course of a state election, another startling reminder of the power of the Internet and independent media, and why the establishment is desperate to take that power away.

The government has been searching for any avenue possible through which to regulate free speech on the Internet and strangle alternative media outlets, with the FTC recently proposing a “Drudge Tax” that would force independent media organizations to pay fees that would be used to fund mainstream newspapers.

Similar legislation aimed at imposing Chinese-style censorship of the Internet and giving the state the power to shut down networks has already been passed globally, including in the UK, New Zealand and Australia.

We have extensively covered efforts to scrap the internet as we know it and move toward a greatly restricted “internet 2″ system. Handing government the power to control the Internet would only be the first step towards this system, whereby individual ID’s and government permission would be required simply to operate a website.

The Lieberman bill needs to be met with fierce opposition at every level and from across the political spectrum. Regulation of the Internet would not only represent a massive assault on free speech, it would also create new roadblocks for e-commerce and as a consequence further devastate the economy.

http://www.prisonplanet.com/new-bill...-internet.html

[venom]

Liberals believe in free speech if only they agree with it .

[steeldevil]

Is that even possible?

[X-Terminator]

This does not surprise me in the least. The Internet is the last bastion of true freedom left in the world, so of course the government wants to control it. The next time some politician says they are about protecting our freedoms, they should be kicked right in the gonads. Because they've repeatedly shown that they are NOT. They are all about taking away as much freedom from the people as they can, while giving themselves more and more power.

[SteelCityMom]

Is that even possible?

No...not really. Not when there are hundreds of thousands of internet pirates out there who can hack nearly any business, site or government they wanted to.

[Wallace108]

This does not surprise me in the least. The Internet is the last bastion of true freedom left in the world, so of course the government wants to control it. The next time some politician says they are about protecting our freedoms, they should be kicked right in the gonads. Because they've repeatedly shown that they are NOT. They are all about taking away as much freedom from the people as they can, while giving themselves more and more power.

You couldn't be more correct. And Republicans are just as guilty as Democrats. Both parties have sold us out.

[Vincent]

Is that even possible?

Its the same sort of thing as making guns illegal and confiscating them. Only the criminals would have guns.

There's not going to be a "kill switch". That would kill all communications including phones and TV.

'Sides... http://www.itproportal.com/portal/ne...#ixzz0r22DLgiS Way too much money at stake here. They'll fold that little stalinist tool up and, and... put him on a post.

5 more months and the post turtle will be a eunuched post turtle.

[Mach1]

He did say in his speech that we should be more like China!

[fansince'76]

Is that even possible?

Theoretically, yes. Practically, no. The government could force service providers to give them the "keys" to their Internet backbones by threat of fines and whatnot, but "shutting down" the Internet would essentially shut down the economy as a whole at the same time. Business, commerce, communications and the Internet are all so intertwined at this point that such a move would be a disaster, and political suicide, for anyone to do so.

[steeldevil]

Theoretically, yes. Practically, no. The government could force service providers to give them the "keys" to their Internet backbones by threat of fines and whatnot, but "shutting down" the Internet would essentially shut down the economy as a whole at the same time. Business, commerce, communications and the Internet are so intertwined at this point that such a move would be a disaster, and political suicide, for anyone to do so.

yea if the government does find a way to make this happen Obama will have a 0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 1% chance of being re-elected.

[Wallace108]

Theoretically, yes. Practically, no. The government could force service providers to give them the "keys" to their Internet backbones by threat of fines and whatnot, but "shutting down" the Internet would essentially shut down the economy as a whole at the same time. Business, commerce, communications and the Internet are all so intertwined at this point that such a move would be a disaster, and political suicide, for anyone to do so.

I think the only reason they would shut it down is because of a cyber attack. But they're definitely looking for ways to control it. I don't think it's a coincidence we're seeing this bill at the same time they're talking about propping up newspapers. They can control mainstream media. And they need traditional media until they can get control of the Internet. (Was that a black helicopter I just saw fly overhead? )

[fansince'76]

I think the only reason they would shut it down is because of a cyber attack.

Doubtful, since any cyber attack of that scope would manifest itself as a denial of service (DOS) attack, which would essentially achieve the same thing as the government "shutting the Internet down," so to speak. I honestly can't think of any sensible reason for the government to "kill" Internet communications on a widespread scale.

[MasterOfPuppets]

You couldn't be more correct. And Republicans are just as guilty as Democrats. Both parties have sold us out.

yup if the reps were in control, the same thing would have happend

[The WH]

You can't kill the internet. It's almost impossible. Did you see Die Hard 4? You'd have to do something like that, but bigger, more effective, and global.

[Mach1]

You can't kill the internet. It's almost impossible. Did you see Die Hard 4? You'd have to do something like that, but bigger, more effective, and global.

Yes, we all know what you see in the movies is real, just like pro wrestlin.

[The WH]

Yes, we all know what you see in the movies is real, just like pro wrestlin.

It's about as real as being able to shutdown the freakin' internet.

Oh, BTW, on wrestling

[suitanim]

Well, giving Obama MORE power is certainly always a really good idea...

[The WH]

i love that smiley

[cold-hard-steel]

The internet rocks ! I guess it can be used for both good and evil . Good and evil never got along , but they've been living side by side since the beginning . Never ending constant battle to prevail over the other . It's maddness i say !

[MasterOfPuppets]

No...not really. Not when there are hundreds of thousands of internet pirates out there who can hack nearly any business, site or government they wanted to.

they only need one....the rat..

[The WH]

Also, I honestly thought that I was going to read that some dude named Bill was going to give Obama power over the internet. My first reaction was (before clicking) ''Who the hell is Bill and where does he get all this power?''

[stlrtruck]

Isn't this exactly what China does? Control the Internet? What happen to Freedom?

[Wallace108]

Doubtful, since any cyber attack of that scope would manifest itself as a denial of service (DOS) attack, which would essentially achieve the same thing as the government "shutting the Internet down," so to speak. I honestly can't think of any sensible reason for the government to "kill" Internet communications on a widespread scale.

I'm not sure what you mean by this. How are you defining cyber attack? If government computers are hacked into, this could constitute a cyber attack. What does it have to do with a DOS attack?

As far as a reason for the government to kill Internet communications on a widespread scale, what if a foreign entity, say China, launched a massive attack and breached hundreds or thousands of corporate and/or government sites? Would this give the government a reason to kill Internet communications?

[Wallace108]

You can't kill the internet. It's almost impossible. Did you see Die Hard 4? You'd have to do something like that, but bigger, more effective, and global.

Why do you say it's almost impossible?

[The WH]

To kill the internet, globally? You tell me.

[Wallace108]

To kill the internet, globally? You tell me.

I never said anything about a global shutdown. The bill is designed to protect U.S. communications systems. Other countries, not just China, already have similar powers. Though unlikely, it's certainly possible to shut down the Internet within a country.

Here's some info from cnet.com:

A new U.S. Senate bill would grant the president far-reaching emergency powers to seize control of or even shut down portions of the Internet.

The legislation announced Thursday says that companies such as broadband providers, search engines, or software firms that the government selects "shall immediately comply with any emergency measure or action developed" by the Department of Homeland Security. Anyone failing to comply would be fined.

And the Center for Democracy and Technology publicly worried that the Lieberman bill's emergency powers "include authority to shut down or limit Internet traffic on private systems."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20007418-38.html


We can debate whether it WOULD happen, but I think it's apparent that it CAN happen.

[BnG_Hevn]

I thought it was a joke meaning Bill Gates gave him power...

The only real way to shut down the internet is to shutdown all the companies that provide internet access. Otherwise you just twisting in the wind.

it is akin to shutting down all electricity. Can it be done? Sure. But you'd have to have all the providers of electricity on board.

The internet, in it's simplest of terms, is just a bunch of computers connected together. You have relay points all through the country/world. When a relay point goes down, the "signal" would simply find another path. This is called traceroute.

Again, the only effective way to shut down the internet is if EVERYONE was on board. What are the odds on that?

[The WH]

I never said anything about a global shutdown. The bill is designed to protect U.S. communications systems. Other countries, not just China, already have similar powers. Though unlikely, it's certainly possible to shut down the Internet within a country.

Here's some info from cnet.com:

A new U.S. Senate bill would grant the president far-reaching emergency powers to seize control of or even shut down portions of the Internet.

The legislation announced Thursday says that companies such as broadband providers, search engines, or software firms that the government selects "shall immediately comply with any emergency measure or action developed" by the Department of Homeland Security. Anyone failing to comply would be fined.

And the Center for Democracy and Technology publicly worried that the Lieberman bill's emergency powers "include authority to shut down or limit Internet traffic on private systems."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20007418-38.html


We can debate whether it WOULD happen, but I think it's apparent that it CAN happen.

Sure, we can debate semantics all night long, but it's near impossible to shut down The Internet. By cutting off the internet in the States, you're doing just that, cutting off the internet in the US, you're not ''shutting down the internet''

[Dino 6 Rings]

Didn't Iran shut down its internet then claim it didn't slaughter 1000s of people during an uprising?

First, don't allow the footage out, then you can kill whoever you want.

Cold Dead Hands Fed...come and get them.

[Wallace108]

The only real way to shut down the internet is to shutdown all the companies that provide internet access. Otherwise you just twisting in the wind.

it is akin to shutting down all electricity. Can it be done? Sure. But you'd have to have all the providers of electricity on board.

That's exactly what the bill would give the president the power to do ... order companies to shut off access.

Sure, we can debate semantics all night long, but it's near impossible to shut down The Internet. By cutting off the internet in the States, you're doing just that, cutting off the internet in the US, you're not ''shutting down the internet''

Again, we're not talking about a global shutdown. We're talking about the U.S. president having the power to tell U.S. companies to shut down access, whether it's to a single website or a mass shutdown. No one is talking about global access to the Internet.

Didn't Iran shut down its internet then claim it didn't slaughter 1000s of people during an uprising?

First, don't allow the footage out, then you can kill whoever you want.

Cold Dead Hands Fed...come and get them.

I'm not sure about shutting it down, but Iran definitely censors the Internet. China and other countries do the same. Pakistan recently blocked access to Facebook because of a group that poked fun of the Prophet Muhammad. Regardless of the ability to "shut down" the Internet, this bill would give the president the power to censor it. Is that likely? Therein lies the debate ...