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Electronic Frontier Foundation
Defending your rights in the digital world
Tell Congress: Keep My Inbox Away From the Government
THe House of Representatives is planning to vote on the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) this week. Please call Congress and tell them not to sacrifice the civil liberties of Internet users with this dangerously vague legislation.
CISPA would let companies bypass all existing privacy law, spying on online communications and handing that data to the government without a judge or jury every getting involved. We cant let that happen.
Heres a script you can use during you call feel free to elaborate and make it your own. We also really appreciate it if you ask the Representatives stance on the bill does he or she plan to oppose this bill?
Hi my name is [insert name] and Im a constituent.
Im calling about the CISPA cybersecurity bill (HR 3523). CISPA would trample on decades of privacy law, letting companies spy on our online communications. Companies could also pass all kinds of sensitive data to the government.
Please tell my Congressional representative to stand up for civil liberties. Support privacy-protective amendments and oppose CISPA.
Thank you for your time.
Once you've made the call, click the button that says "I made the call!" and then tell the world. Then send an email follow-up to Congress so they know youre serious.
Take Action Now!
In order to address your message to the appropriate recipient, we need to identify where you are.
Please enter your zip/postal code:
https://eff.org/cyberspying
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CISPA Critics Warn Cybersecurity Bill Will Increase Domestic Surveillance and Violate Privacy Rights
As it heads toward a House vote, critics say the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) would allow private internet companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft to hand over troves of confidential customer records and communications to the National Security Agency, FBI and Department of Homeland Security, effectively legalizing a secret domestic surveillance program already run by the NSA. Backers say the measure is needed to help private firms crackdown on foreign entities including the Chinese and Russian governments committing online economic espionage. The bill has faced widespread opposition from online privacy advocates and even the Obama administration, which has threatened a veto. "CISPA will create an exception to all existing privacy laws so that companies can share very sensitive and personal information directly with the government, including military agencies like the National Security Agency," says Michelle Richardson, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. "Once the government has it, they can repurpose it and use it for a number of things, including an undefined national security use." [includes rush transcript]
Filed under Domestic Surveillance, ACLU
Guest:
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/4/26/cispa_critics_warn_cybersecurity_bill_will
hlthe2b
(102,200 posts)steve2470
(37,457 posts)PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)its too late
KoKo
(84,711 posts)Do SOMETHING!
KoKo
(84,711 posts)Senate will put in some "fixes" then it goes back to the House..
CALL THEM BOTH...Let YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!
Richard D
(8,752 posts)Obama said he'd veto it. Let's hope.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)Call and Let Obama know how you feel so he can VETO. He WILL NOT DO IT unless HE SEES YOU CALLED...
KoKo
(84,711 posts)Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)WillyT
(72,631 posts)lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)WillyT
(72,631 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)That sounds so cool!
freshwest
(53,661 posts)For visibility.
lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)KoKo
(84,711 posts)As it heads toward a House vote, critics say the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) would allow private internet companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft to hand over troves of confidential customer records and communications to the National Security Agency, FBI and Department of Homeland Security, effectively legalizing a secret domestic surveillance program already run by the NSA. Backers say the measure is needed to help private firms crackdown on foreign entities including the Chinese and Russian governments committing online economic espionage. The bill has faced widespread opposition from online privacy advocates and even the Obama administration, which has threatened a veto. "CISPA will create an exception to all existing privacy laws so that companies can share very sensitive and personal information directly with the government, including military agencies like the National Security Agency," says Michelle Richardson, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. "Once the government has it, they can repurpose it and use it for a number of things, including an undefined national security use." [includes rush transcript]
Filed under Domestic Surveillance, ACLU
Guest:
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/4/26/cispa_critics_warn_cybersecurity_bill_will
Ohio Joe
(21,748 posts)Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)These being the terrorists:
KoKo
(84,711 posts)Democracy Now and other sites have been on this. House held a vote "early" to RAM IT THROUGH.
If you are a person who SUPPORTS OPEN INTERNET...then YOU NEED TO SPEAK UP..
GO TO THE SITE AND READ...then MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND ABOUT IT.
BUT, DO IT!
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)I am an enthusiastic supporter of the EFF. John Perry Barlow and I go way back.
Zalatix
(8,994 posts)KoKo
(84,711 posts)is being just SNARKY.... NOT SERIOUS.
If you don't do something...Obama will think that it's not important enough to VETO!
DO SOMETHING!
KoKo
(84,711 posts)If you think it's a good Bill ....then don't bother.. IF YOU ARE HORRIFIED BY THIS...then DO SOMETHING!
KoKo
(84,711 posts)If we don't hold him ACCOUNTABLE...he will think the REPUG way was CORRECT!
DO SOMETHING!
CISPA Critics Warn Cybersecurity Bill Will Increase Domestic Surveillance and Violate Privacy Rights
As it heads toward a House vote, critics say the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) would allow private internet companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft to hand over troves of confidential customer records and communications to the National Security Agency, FBI and Department of Homeland Security, effectively legalizing a secret domestic surveillance program already run by the NSA. Backers say the measure is needed to help private firms crackdown on foreign entities including the Chinese and Russian governments committing online economic espionage. The bill has faced widespread opposition from online privacy advocates and even the Obama administration, which has threatened a veto. "CISPA
will create an exception to all existing privacy laws so that companies can share very sensitive and personal information directly with the government, including military agencies like the National Security Agency," says Michelle Richardson, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. "Once the government has it, they can repurpose it and use it for a number of things, including an undefined national security use." [includes rush transcript]
Filed under Domestic Surveillance, ACLU
Guest:
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/4/26/cispa_critics_warn_cybersecurity_bill_will
KoKo
(84,711 posts)5 Ways CISPA Could Be Worse Than SOPA For Internet Activists - RawStory
5 ways CISPA could be worse than SOPA for Internet activists
By Stephen C. Webster
Thursday, April 26, 2012 15:19 EDT
<snip>
5. SOPA would have destroyed website domains over copyright, but CISPA will destroy all semblance of privacy on the Internet.
4. SOPA put media pirates in the sights of content creators, but CISPA puts whistleblowers and journalists in the sights of corporations and governments.
3. SOPA would have broken the core architecture of the Internet to censor individual websites, but CISPA could aid the censorship of entire societies.
2. SOPA would have given too much power to content creators, but CISPA proposes complete spying freedom for an agency thats wholly unaccountable.
1. SOPA was similar to a bailout for a few Hollywood studios, but CISPA is like a bailout for the whole tech industry.
<snip>
Explanations Here: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/04/26/5-ways-cispa-could-be-worse-than-sopa-for-internet-activists/
starroute
(12,977 posts)The vote followed the debate on amendments, several of which were passed. Among them was an absolutely terrible change to the definition of what the government can do with shared information, put forth by Rep. Quayle. Astonishingly, it was described as limiting the government's power, even though it in fact expands it by adding more items to the list of acceptable purposes for which shared information can be used. Even more astonishingly, it passed with a near-unanimous vote. The CISPA that was just approved by the House is much worse than the CISPA being discussed as recently as this morning.
Previously, CISPA allowed the government to use information for "cybersecurity" or "national security" purposes. Those purposes have not been limited or removed. Instead, three more valid uses have been added: investigation and prosecution of cybersecurity crime, protection of individuals, and protection of children. Cybersecurity crime is defined as any crime involving network disruption or hacking, plus any violation of the CFAA.
Basically this means CISPA can no longer be called a cybersecurity bill at all. The government would be able to search information it collects under CISPA for the purposes of investigating American citizens with complete immunity from all privacy protections as long as they can claim someone committed a "cybersecurity crime". Basically it says the 4th Amendment does not apply online, at all. Moreover, the government could do whatever it wants with the data as long as it can claim that someone was in danger of bodily harm, or that children were somehow threatenedagain, notwithstanding absolutely any other law that would normally limit the government's power.
. . . CISPA is now a completely unsupportable bill that rewrites (and effectively eliminates) all privacy laws for any situation that involves a computer. Far from the defense against malevolent foreign entities that the bill was described as by its authors, it is now an explicit attack on the freedoms of every American.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)KoKo
(84,711 posts)Or...at least it would seem to me, that most folks here would support EFF on this given that this website is still up...
Uncle Joe
(58,342 posts)Thanks for the thread, KoKo.
LadyHawkAZ
(6,199 posts)"I've been informed that I should write my Senators to urge them to vote against CISPA. So I am writing to both my senators to urge them to vote against CISPA, in spite of the fact that both my senators are an embarrassment to both the state of Utah and halls of Congress, and have neither of them actually read the Constitution beyond the 2nd Am. (although I'm sure you will both insist that cyberspying on American citizens is as totally an American principle as the PATRIOT Act, George Dubya and apple pie). I am writing to you in complete faith that you will make me as ashamed of you in this matter as you do in all others. Thank you for your time."
My senators are Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch, if that helps this letter make sense.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)KoKo
(84,711 posts)By Grant Gross, IDG News Apr 26, 2012 10:39 pm
CISPA now moves to the Senate.
CISPA would allow companies such as broadband providers to share customer communications related to cyberthreats with a wide range of government agencies. The bill exempts private companies that share cyberthreat information in "good faith" from customer lawsuits.
But the CDT and other opponents of the bill questioned whether the information sharing from private companies to government agencies would be truly voluntary, when many telecom providers bid on government contracts.
"In an effort to foster information sharing, this bill would erode the privacy protections of every single American using the Internet," said Representative Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat. "It would create a Wild West of information sharing, where any certified business can share with any government agency, who can then use the information for any national security purpose, and grant that business immunity from virtually any liability."
CISPA would allow companies to share private and sensitive information with government agencies without a warrant and without proper oversight, the ACLU said in a statement.
"CISPA goes too far for little reason," Michelle Richardson, ACLU legislative counsel, said in a statement. "Cybersecurity does not have to mean abdication of Americans' online privacy. As we've seen repeatedly, once the government gets expansive national security authorities, there's no going back."
CISPA has support from several tech companies and trade groups, including Facebook, Microsoft, AT&T, TechAmerica and CTIA. For years, tech companies have complained about legal hurdles to sharing cyberthreat information with each other and with the government.
The House vote was a "critical step forward" for the cybersecurity of the U.S., Shawn Osborne, TechAmerica's president and CEO, said in a statement.
More at....
http://www.pcworld.com/article/254573/house_passes_cispa_cyberthreat_sharing_bill_despite_privacy_concerns.html
KoKo
(84,711 posts)By Jared Newman, PCWorld Apr 13, 2012 6:34 PM
The Basics on CISPA
CISPA would allow the U.S. government and private companies to communicate more freely about cyber-security threat information. The intelligence community would be allowed to share threat details with private companies, and companies would be encouraged to share their own knowledge, though doing so would not be mandatory.
Private companies would only be allowed to use information to protect themselves and their customers--not to gain a competitive advantage--and, in doing so, would be protected from lawsuits. The information shared would be exempted from public disclosure.
Arguments Against CISPA
Groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union argue that CISPA is too broad. By using vague language, the EFF argues that companies could use the bill to filter content, monitor e-mails, and block access to websites. And, although the bill has little to do with SOPA and PIPA, it does define intellectual property theft as a type of cyberattack, raising concerns that content owners could use the bill to censor websites.
Critics also worry that the bill doesn't limit the type of information that can be shared. We just want people to know that Congress is on the verge of giving the government incredible new authorities to collect sensitive and personal Internet information and emails, Michelle Richardson, a legislative counsel for the ACLU, told Politico.
The Sunlight Foundation notes that shared data between the government and businesses would be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. The FOIA is, in many ways, the fundamental safeguard for public oversight of government's activities. CISPA dismisses it entirely, for the core activities of the newly proposed powers under the bill, The Sunlight Foundation wrote in a blog
More info at.....
http://www.pcworld.com/article/253800/cispa_monitoring_bill_just_the_facts.html#tk.mod_stln
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)If it can at least be delayed until after the election. I will call my Senators. Thanks for the thread, KoKo.
I think Avaaz has a petition also, they have millions of members worldwide so I hope they are doing something also.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)Well...I'm trying....