From SC Magazine:A revision to the Cybersecurity Act of 2009, the proposed Rockefeller-Snowe legislation in Congress, has drawn criticism because of concerns that it would give the president power to shut down the internet.
The proposed law, introduced in April by Sen. John (Jay) Rockefeller IV, D-W.Va., and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, originally contained a controversial clause that said: “The president may declare a cybersecurity emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of internet traffic to and from any compromised federal government or critical infrastructure information system or network.”
Read more ....
My Comment: The key phrase is the following ....
"To be very clear, the Rockefeller-Snowe bill will not empower a 'government shutdown or takeover of the internet' and any suggestion otherwise is misleading and false. The purpose of this language is to clarify how the president directs the public-private response to a crisis, secure our economy and safeguard our financial networks, protect the American people, their privacy and civil liberties, and coordinate the government's response." ....
In short .... the answer is no. The President cannot shut down the internet.
Hmmmm .... but why do I still believe that they will.
Update: Don't let a president turn off the Internet -- Washington Examiner Editorial
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