Should Obama Control The Internet? (Free Speech Alert)

Mother Jones ^ | 4/03/2009 | Steve Aquino

[America2012]

Should President Obama have the power to shut down domestic Internet traffic during a state of emergency?

Senators John Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) think so. On Wednesday they introduced a bill to establish the Office of the National Cybersecurity Advisor—an arm of the executive branch that would have vast power to monitor and control Internet traffic to protect against threats to critical cyber infrastructure. That broad power is rattling some civil libertarians.

The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 (PDF) gives the president the ability to "declare a cybersecurity emergency" and shut down or limit Internet traffic in any "critical" information network "in the interest of national security." The bill does not define a critical information network or a cybersecurity emergency. That definition would be left to the president.

The bill does not only add to the power of the president. It also grants the Secretary of Commerce "access to all relevant data concerning [critical] networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access." This means he or she can monitor or access any data on private or public networks without regard to privacy laws.

[rockrr]

If I had a dollar for every lefty that has told me, “You ‘wingers are irrelevant now. We’re in charge now!” I still couldn’t retire but I could get royally drunk...;’}

[Las Vegas Ron]

Bamsy would have to cut off all power to shut that down.

Correct me if I am wrong, but can't those particular frequencies be jammed?

[Candor7]

[azishot]

Thanks for the ping.

He wants to micro-manage our lives. I wonder how our Rep. leadership will react to this?

[grumpa]

Gore invented it, so Barry should be able to control it.

[Calpernia]

Another cross link:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2221962/posts
FBI Agents Raid Dallas Computer Business [Data Center] [Disrupt 911 Emergency Services]

Once upon a time I would have thought that was a jihadi hosting IP. Now that the brown shirts are in charge, don’t know.

[BenLurkin]

What possible threat would the Internet pose “during a state of emergency”?

[coydog]

On a local level, jamming could work, but it’s far from perfect. Even China and the old USSR had wide areas where signals could come in.

[BenLurkin]

[katiekins1]

I am not in the least surprised. Thanks for the ping. Good night

[HiTech RedNeck]

Wait, wait, doesn't this President hail from the same Democrats who had an apoplexy over Bush's warrentless spying on conversations of which one party was out of the country? Now he wants to do it all over this Newnited States no matter who is talking?

How big can we can say hypocrisy?

[coydog]

Les saglots longs
Des violons
De l’automne
Blessent mon couer
D’une langeur
Monotone.

If you get that one right off, kudos.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I.e. it’s time to ATTACK, mon friend!

[coydog]

Now might be the time to infiltrate innocuous-looking sites and exchange coded messages. A billion Star Trek forums out there...

[yldstrk]

uh no

[HiTech RedNeck]

Obama as usual is a clumsy oaf.

He really doesn’t care how much e-commerce will go in the toilet if he tries this, probably because he hasn’t thought about it or he has been told not to think about it.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Sounds Just Like IRAN!!!

[mojitojoe]

He wants them, he will get them. He is close to crossing the line. I expect by the end of the summer the US will be in the midst of the 2md revolution.

[mysterio]

No. Government should not get that power over the internet. No matter which side is in charge.

The frustrating part for me is that each side seems to be comfortable with government power grabs if their own side is in charge. But when the other side wins, they become libertarian until their side wins again.

Do not trust government to be the arbiter of your liberty no matter which political party wins.

[Candor7]

Obama is showing all the signs of a fascist dictator.

Soon America will realize the problems his election represents for the nation.

That is when things will get very ugly indeed.

Obama will not tolerate"insurrection" nor, ideologically challenged as he is,will he govern from the center.

If I was a life insurance salesman, I wouldn't be trying to make a hard sell to Obama.

This so called presidency can only end in abject, abysmal tragedy.

The conditions for that are being created as we speak.