HT: Religious Freedom Coalition
It appears that a couple of Senators would like Pres. Obama to be in charge of the Internet and even the San Francisco Chronicle thinks it is a bad idea. Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. VA) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) have introduced the Cybersecruity Act of 2009. It is SB773. Here is a quote from the Chronicle by James G. Lakely.
The bill's language also allows the commerce secretary to "access all relevant data" on those "critical" networks "without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access." The bill as currently written provides zero structural oversight over the proposed broad new executive branch powers.
I seem to recall people such as Sen. Rockefeller being troubled about granting such vaguely defined surveillance powers to President George W. Bush, even when targeted only at suspected terrorists in wartime. Yet Rockefeller said in a statement after introducing the bill, "We must protect our critical infrastructure at all costs - from our water to our electricity, to banking, traffic lights, and electronic health records. The list goes on."
If protecting America's "traffic lights" is on that list, it's an absurdly long one. Al Gore may take credit for inventing the Internet, but it does not belong to the federal government.
Good grief. Is there no end to where our government is willing to reach? This is a terrible, terrible idea.
2 comments:
Thanks for spotlighting issues of importance, such as this possible threat against controlling the Intenet to regulate the expression of ideas and the possible censoring of criticism of our ever powerful and expanding government.
You are certainly welcome, Raymond. It is nice to know people like you are out there reading.
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