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MikeKoffenberger
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« on: May 04, 2012, 01:36:36 PM » |
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CISPA (Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act) passed the House on 4-26-12. This is another dangerous piece of legislation, much like the Patriot Act, that is pushed through Congress in the name of “security.”
What is CISPA? It amends the National Security Act of 1947 to add provisions dealing with cyber threat intelligence and information sharing. Its stated purpose is for the government and the private sector to share information on cyber threats pertaining to security in defense of our infrastructure. Sounds like a good thing right? We certainly need cyber security. However there are many concerns in this bill that outweigh any security benefits.
The biggest concern is privacy. The private sector can submit information directly to the NSA (National Security Agency). It will allow the interception of private information by private companies to be submitted for federal government inspection. This information can be passed along for the weakest of reasons as they relate to “national security,” however it also allows the passage of this information to the federal government for other reasons not directly related to cyber security. All of your private information will now be searchable by the federal government WITHOUT a search warrant, court order, oversight or limits. It is all in the name of security as usual. Privacy be damned. Much of the information that will be collected in this bill is already available to them BUT with safeguards in place. CISPA takes those safeguards away. All privacy protections are stripped away as long as a claim can be made that the information was provided for cyber security. A bit Orwellian is it not?
SOPA and PIPA were stopped by a huge public outcry. You would think the legislators in favor of this nonsense would learn their lesson. However they know a secret: most people do not pay attention. Others will say that they do not have anything to hide so the government can search them all they want. This attitude is NOT American….or at least it never used to be. When legislation like this passes, with most people in the dark, the government can do anything it wants to by their own laws. You have no recourse. Legislation like this needs to be stopped in its tracks and called what it is – another overreaching control over you and your privacy, all in the name of security.
Our Congressman, Todd Platts, voted for the bill to no surprise. Also, keep in mind that this bill had 47 of the 66 members of the House Tea Party Caucus voting for it, and only 28 Republicans in all voting against it. It is a bill with “security” in the title. Any bill that has security or patriot in the title creates stigma for some members voting against them. The members of the Tea Party Caucus are supposed to be for limited government right? Make no mistake, CISPA is MAXIMUM government intrusion in your lives. The President has vowed to veto CISPA if it passes the Senate. I would not hold any faith in that since he vowed to veto the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) as well if it did not remove the concerns of the armed forces taking American citizens into custody on our own land. The last hope for defeat of this one lies in the Senate. Contact Casey and Toomey today to express your concerns and demand a no vote.
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