Friday, August 28, 2009

U.S. Senate Bill Will Give Control Of The Internet To The White House In The Event Of A National Security Emergency


Bill Would Give President Emergency Control Of Internet -- CNET

Internet companies and civil liberties groups were alarmed this spring when a U.S. Senate bill proposed handing the White House the power to disconnect private-sector computers from the Internet.

They're not much happier about a revised version that aides to Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, have spent months drafting behind closed doors. CNET News has obtained a copy of the 55-page draft of S.773 (excerpt), which still appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency.

Read more ....

My Comment: If this does not give you a cold chill down your spine .... nothing will.

In my case, I am dependent on the web for my information and communication. Any interruption will be catastrophic to me professionally as well as personally.

But I know that in the event of a national security emergency .... my concerns will be thrown out the window. I can easily see the Government simply cutting off the web to the public and/or severely limiting its use. China already has some form of control over the web for its citizens, and I am sure that Iran wished it had a better handle on its access to the web. For the U.S. .... my prediction is that this control will become fact within a year.

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