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

[Hazcat]

Government would have “absolute power” to seize control of the world wide web under Lieberman legislation

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 (PDF) 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.

(ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW)

New Bill Gives Obama Kill Switch To Shut Down The Internet 150410banner1

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-gives-obama-kill-switch-to-shut-down-the-internet.html

comments at link

[billt]

I'm surprised that Lieberman would tie his name to something like this. This is the first I've heard of any of this type of actual legislation. It goes without saying they would want to control it, much the same as they would want to shut down Fox News. The "Fairness Doctrine" went nowhere, I suspect this will as well. This certainly isn't the time for Hussein & Co. to try and make yet another power grab.

This nation has enough problems at the moment. Hussein's administration is going down the proverbial drain with each barrel of crude that gushes from that thing. This is going to be the biggest disaster of our lifetime. Especially with a manager at the helm of this country who hasn't a clue how to manage or lead anyone about anything.  Bill T.

[tt11758]

Ok, all together now, "SEIG HEIL!!"

[Hazcat]

FCC set to reconsider broadband regulations

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100617/D9GCVNMG0.html

Well if they can't do it by legislation they are gonna do it by fiat!  3 dems and 2 rs on the FCC commission.

[ratcatcher55]

I think the problem is that folks like Lieberman, who are decent folks, can never imagine goverment becoming the bad guy.
They view everything as I would never do that.

They read history then po-po the lessons as that could never happen here.

It would not prevent a cyber attack, only manage the damage after the fact in the best case.

[Sponsor]

[billt]

I'm no computer expert, but with that said neither is the Federal government. 12 year olds have hacked their way into Dept. Of Defense computer systems. It seems to happen quite frequently. If they can't manage to control their own systems, how could they possibly control the Internet? Perhaps they could make Al Gore the "Internet Czar". After all, he invented it.     Bill T.

[tombogan03884]

I'm no computer expert, but with that said neither is the Federal government. 12 year olds have hacked their way into Dept. Of Defense computer systems. It seems to happen quite frequently. If they can't manage to control their own systems, how could they possibly control the Internet? Perhaps they could make Al Gore the "Internet Czar". After all, he invented it.    Bill T.

That's a ridiculous idea. Fat Albert is busy getting separated from Tipper.
Notice you don't hear much about that in the MSM ?
According to National Enquirer, (yeah, I know, but this is to good to pass up    ) He got caught with another guy.  
Fat Albert making the beast with 2 backs with Barney Fwank, THERE's an image to make you wash your eyes with Draino.        

[billt]

"There is a real urgency to this because right now there are no rules of the road to protect consumers from even the most egregious discriminatory behavior by telephone and cable companies,"

 I'm far more worried about having no one to "protect me" from, "Egregious Discriminatory Behavior", by the damn GOVERNMENT! Companies I can deal with, the Federal Government is a whole different story!  Bill T. 

[crusader rabbit]

Power and control.  It's all about power and control.  Yet still, about half of America still can't see that Odamna is on the wrong side of freedom.

Offered as an observation by Crusader who may soon become completely dehydrated from the continuous weeping done for my country

[Johnny Bravo]

"Kill Switch"...............I got all excited when I saw that and obslama in the same sentence !!!