Should the Government have the power to shut down the Internet?

[bladex76]

ok i dont know if this is true but the congress wants to pass a bill It's a PROPOSED bill to let the president or government be able to shut off or parts of the internet now i know they have the power now im sure but they want to make it as a bill:hide-1: :praying: does this mean that im gonna have to go to tijuana to download my tgirl porn...????

[saifan]

You have a link to the story?

[rameses2]

They say the want to be able to shut down certain parts of the Interwebs in cases of "National Security". Joe Lieberman used CHINA as an example! Really, Lieberman? THAT'S the best example you could find to back up your reason to support this Bill?:fu:

[raiku9909]

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/040209-obama-cybersecurity-bill.html

There it is.

I'm torn on the issue--it's a scary amount of power to give to the government, but at the same time, if some catastrophic attack ever happened on the internet it would have some pretty serious ramifications on the financial markets, right?

[95racer]

NO fucking way!!!!!!

[sunairco]

Before some of you get the wrong idea, there has long been precendent for this type of control from the earliest days of radio and wireline communications. The last time it was implemented by executive order was during WW11, shutting down all communications unless authorized by the gov't. Furthermore, John Kennedy was responsible for the National Communications System in '62 which would sieze control of both the radio spectrum and wireline communications during a war,national emergency, or reconstructive continuance of gov't event. It wasn't implemented until the '80's by Ronald Reagan. By default, internet communications are delivered either by wireline/cable or by WiFi which already are under the original jurisdictions anyway. By existing laws, there technically doesn't need to be a new law created.

[jordyd19]

that's why i have my generator and short wave. JK but it woulden't be a bad idea. The last die hard was based on a whole system shutdown by an individual. And I'm guessing another country is as capable of doing this to the us as ours.

[sunairco]

Shortwave isn't going to do you a lot of good these days with most English language broadcasts like the BBC and CBC moving to sattelite services or streamed on the net. Unless you speak another language such as Spanish, you're highly unlikely to get uncensored news in a reconstructive or national emergency situation. Let's face it, they're going to have complete control over disseminaton of information and trying to live off the grid is going to be nearly impossible in years to come.

[NYBURBS]

Bad idea imo. First of all, executive orders and implied powers never have the same standing in court that a congressional law does. So if it were to be passed, the courts would review any shutdown with a much greater degree of deference to the government's position.

Further, one could see how this might be abused to delay the disbursement of incriminating or secret material that the government wouldn't want released. I realize that sounds a bit conspiracy theorist, but it's not beyond the realm of possibility.

I can understand the need to protect certain key systems, but they should be specifically defined and the power carefully limited.

[NYBURBS]

S.773

Cybersecurity Act of 2009 (Introduced in Senate - IS)
SEC. 18. CYBERSECURITY RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITY.



The President--





(1) within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, shall develop and implement a comprehensive national cybersecurity strategy, which shall include--









(A) a long-term vision of the Nation's cybersecurity future; and











(B) a plan that encompasses all aspects of national security, including the participation of the private sector, including critical infrastructure operators and managers;









(2) may declare a cybersecurity emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic to and from any compromised Federal Government or United States critical infrastructure information system or network;







(3) shall designate an agency to be responsible for coordinating the response and restoration of any Federal Government or United States critical infrastructure information system or network affected by a cybersecurity emergency declaration under paragraph (2);







(4) shall, through the appropriate department or agency, review equipment that would be needed after a cybersecurity attack and develop a strategy for the acquisition, storage, and periodic replacement of such equipment;







(5) shall direct the periodic mapping of Federal Government and United States critical infrastructure information systems or networks, and shall develop metrics to measure the effectiveness of the mapping process;







(6) may order the disconnection of any Federal Government or United States critical infrastructure information systems or networks in the interest of national security;







(7) shall, through the Office of Science and Technology Policy, direct an annual review of all Federal cyber technology research and development investments;







(8) may delegate original classification authority to the appropriate Federal official for the purposes of improving the Nation's cybersecurity posture;







(9) shall, through the appropriate department or agency, promulgate rules for Federal professional responsibilities regarding cybersecurity, and shall provide to the Congress an annual report on Federal agency compliance with those rules;







(10) shall withhold additional compensation, direct corrective action for Federal personnel, or terminate a Federal contract in violation of Federal rules, and shall report any such action to the Congress in an unclassified format within 48 hours after taking any such action; and







(11) shall notify the Congress within 48 hours after providing a cyber-related certification of legality to a United States person.



SEC. 23. DEFINITIONS.






(3) FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND UNITED STATES CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND NETWORKS- The term `Federal Government and United States critical infrastructure information systems and networks' includes--









(A) Federal Government information systems and networks; and











(B) State, local, and nongovernmental information systems and networks in the United States designated by the President as critical infrastructure information systems and networks.

[Nalos6]

Fuck no! Anything the government touches it destroys through a slow and painful death.
Besides people who understand nothing about routing and switching, network security, and network architecture have no place in making laws for it. Even if they were to successfully pass this bill they would need to fork over a few hundred billion dollars to even get a system in place to have their "kill switch". Don't forget about monetary compensation for all businesses who will lose revenue if they ever did flip their "kill switch". The logistics to implement this are absurd.

[bladex76]

like i said im sure they have the power now and im sure they can do what ever they want with it... but one thing lead to another soon they might and is a big if they will try to tell us what to surf the web and what not to as far as what is good or bad we all depend on the internet this days for PORN or for fun more porn or pay bills or comunicate on pcs or mobile phones even to play games if they do it for safety is cool but people with alot power can go crazy

[sp fan]

govt is corrupt and needs to be shut down theirselves.

[flabbybody]

2 Joe's who went into politics and never stopped lying.
too bad one of them is still in office

[Christastic]

I guess the good part about this legislation is that the people who wrote it apparently have no conception of what the internet is.

[FREEFALLL666]

that's why i have my generator and short wave. JK but it woulden't be a bad idea. The last die hard was based on a whole system shutdown by an individual. And I'm guessing another country is as capable of doing this to the us as ours.
He has to be the only baddie in movie history who looks creepy scary WITH HAIR, in Hitman he looked err not scary with a skinhead..

[sunairco]

If you take a moment to think this one through, the task is going to be gargantuan. In the most simplistic sense, you've only got a handfull of the Bell's that own the wireline and optical infrastructure. Disabling the lines that feed into the backbones is no longer an option. That could have been a quick and dirty soloution that would cripple the net within the states effectively enough to bring a majority of the traffic to a standstill. That's no longer an option with VOIP and services like public safety communications that now use the net in place of point to point microwave or dedicated, leased lines. There's too much critical infrastructure now that depends on net interconnectivety that's essential for daily communications, commerce or would be otherwise disruptive in other sectors such as public utilities. I don't think they can bring the entire net down, but they can disrupt it. In the earlier days of the net b4 the telcoms consolidated most of the providers, it would have been absolutely impossible. Nowadays, too much of the the net is concentrated in too few corporate hands that are only too eager to comply.

[SarahG]

I am trying to picture a disaster where this would actually be beneficial, but I'm drawing up blank. Does anyone know what type of scenario they have in mind here?

The biggest thing the internet has going for it is how hard it is to shut down. The civilian communication would probably be of more value alive & working (for intel reasons...) than down & silent.

[Nicole Dupre]

Maybe they can start with shutting down an oil pipeline on the ocean floor first,. Then, maybe we'll discus the internet. lol

[rockabilly]

The internet is a series of tubes , and Hamsters deliver all the electronic mail .... so stop feeding the hamsters and problem solved. Gotta go Murder She Wrote is on.

[cooper1986]

Bills or no bills, laws or no laws. It doesnt really seem to matter anymore, they do whatever they want, its really depressing.

[muhmuh]

its almost funny when you consider that the whole point of the arpanet was to build a network that was impossible to shut down so that even in case of a large scale soviet nuclear attack military leaders would still be able to watch porn

[sunairco]

Think some of us should pull our old CPM Kaypro's,Osbornes,and old PC's out of the basements and set up BBS's again? Fidonet worked pretty good back when. If they pull the plug on the land lines, there's always packet TNC's. From what I understand there is still an active packet network and Fidonet is still around on dial up.

[SexSlave1972]

Tell me how 1 government could shut down internet, even if it want's to do it ?

[trish]

The ability to shut down the internet is just what we'll need when the web gains consciousness, takes over automated factories and builds our cybernetic overseers. It's called SKYNET people. Lieberman is just trying to save us from the future. STOP THE FUTURE...SUPPORT LIEBERMAN.

[talon]

Simple. No.

The government has no powers but what's in the Constitution. That they have abused this and expanded their authority continuously makes them illegitimate.

They retain police state power and legal authority over us, but moral authority? None. They are an occupying force, a band of criminals. Nothing they say matters, and everything they demand is suspect.

[Silcc69]

Maybe they can start with shutting down an oil pipeline on the ocean floor first,. Then, maybe we'll discus the internet. lol

We have the wrong president for this oil spill.

[sunairco]

And if we'd had McCain & Palin would they be any more responsible? Or would they have simply said, "Your doing a heck of a job Tony" and glad-handed their way through a photo op and just fly over the spill? Instead of forcing BP to man up to the responsibility, the Republican leadership would rather socialize the clean up with our tax dollars. Something weirdly convoluted about this? While it would have been refreshing to see this president at least appear to have been in control, this gov't's failure to effectively respond and manage can only be squarely blamed on the previous administrations appointment's shoulders.

[dave252]

I dont think they would ever shut down the internet completely, just edit want they want you to know. Our own president told us just a few weeks ago that too much information is distracting. Its just another example of how big goverment wants to control everything, including what we read.

[Silcc69]

And if we'd had McCain & Palin would they be any more responsible? Or would they have simply said, "Your doing a heck of a job Tony" and glad-handed their way through a photo op and just fly over the spill? Instead of forcing BP to man up to the responsibility, the Republican leadership would rather socialize the clean up with our tax dollars. Something weirdly convoluted about this? While it would have been refreshing to see this president at least appear to have been in control, this gov't's failure to effectively respond and manage can only be squarely blamed on the previous administrations appointment's shoulders.

Watch this to see what i was talkin about Video: Field Day: Chris Rock Ripping Jay Leno & Making Him Feel Awkward [10 Min Interview] [6-8-2010] (http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh7O53bh9a74TmfS1n)

[sunairco]

Total waste of 10:38 listening to this imbecile ramble on. And your point is? Bush getting every drop like Jenna Jameson?

[Cuchulain]

STOP THE FUTURE...SUPPORT LIEBERMAN.

Lol. As usual, trish gets right to the heart of the issue.