As you may have noticed, hundreds of websites went dark today, protesting CISPA in response to Anonymous’s call to resist the passage of the reincarnated act. We haven’t written on the subject yet, waiting to see how the damned act died. Unfortunately, many will not take note of the act, dismissing it as another non-threatening law passed to regulate nasty internet pirates and trolls – not threatening to well-meaning, ordinary individuals and distracted because of current tragedies (i.e. Boston Bombing, West Fertilizer Explosion) may let it become law.
The act, which President Obama has stated he will veto if it comes to him without significant changes, as proposed, will encourage the “free trade” of information between corporations and the government with the goal of improving security.
According to the bills own language, it is intended to “provide for the sharing of certain cyber threat intelligence and cyber threat information between the intelligence community and cybersecurity entities, and for other purposes.” (emphasis added)
It’s the “and for other purposes” part that has privacy advocates worried. The bills overbroad language would allow companies to track and share your emails, your text messages, your tweets, and many other online activities.
The Huffington Post is reporting that an amendment to the bill, proposed by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Co.) was voted down by a majority of House Republicans. Perlmutter’s amendment would have prevented U.S. employers from requiring employees to turn over their social media passwords to the employer and prevented them from impersonating the employee on social media.
Though the bill passed the House with strong support, it will hopefully die in the Senate as the first incarnation did.
