Bill would give Obama emergency control of Internet

by Declan McCullagh,CNET News

Obama will be able to take over the internet

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.

The new version would allow the president to "declare a cybersecurity emergency"relating to "non-governmental"computer networks and do what’s necessary to respond to the threat. Other sections of the proposal include a federal certification program for "cybersecurity professionals,"and a requirement that certain computer systems and networks in the private sector be managed by people who have been awarded that license.

"I think the redraft,while improved,remains troubling due to its vagueness,"said Larry Clinton,president of the Internet Security Alliance,which counts representatives of Verizon,Verisign,Nortel,and Carnegie Mellon University on its board. "It is unclear what authority Sen. Rockefeller thinks is necessary over the private sector. Unless this is clarified,we cannot properly analyze,let alone support the bill."

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3 comments to Bill would give Obama emergency control of Internet

  • Carrie

    This is very sick…totalitarian! Obama is all about control and stifling our voices. The ONLY way he can gain the control he wants,is to silence the majority! HE KNOWS,he has lost the support and the god like status he has in January!

  • Don Canine

    Typical obama total control. He plans to silence all opposition but he has a few lessons to learn yet. Like freedom is now part of Americans DNA!

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