Is it time to hit the panic button? CISPA passes the house.

Is it time to hit the panic button? CISPA passes the house.
April 27, 2012 - By Lucianarchy Ring Leader at OMF

Today bad news hit the web about CISPA, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, which obliterates any semblance of online privacy in the United States passed the house. The bill is sponsored by Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.).

On the House floor before the vote, Rogers said the bill was about preventing other nations from stealing intellectual property from U.S. companies.

On April 7, 2012 Anonymous responded with outrage and warned of a backlash in the face of passage. See the video they released on the matter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8no3E0Hx7k

Demandprogress.org said of the bill: This so-called cyber security bill aims to prevent theft of "government information" and "intellectual property" and could let ISPs block your access to websites -- or the whole Internet. CISPA also encourages companies to share information about you with the government and other corporations. That data could then be used for just about anything -- from prosecuting crimes to ad placements. And perhaps worst of all, CISPA supersedes all other online privacy protections. Source: Email From: info@demandprogress.org

Huffingtonpost.com wrote: The bill's passage was largely expected. It had more than 100 co-sponsors, and support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and several major technology companies. The Center for Democracy and Technology, which opposed the bill because of privacy concerns, said House leadership chose to block amendments aimed at limiting the flow of citizens' information to the National Security Agency and curbing the use of that data for national security purposes unrelated to cybersecurity. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/26/cispa-passes-house_n_1457548.html?ref=daily-brief?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=042712&utm_medium=email&utm_content=NewsEntry&utm_term=Daily%20Brief

Wired.com noted: Some last-minute amendments included making non-national-security data subject to the Freedom of Information Act, sunsetting the measure after five years and barring the government (.pdf) from reviewing library, firearms, tax and medical records. Amendments to remove language allowing the information-sharing in the name of “national security,” and to remove the NSA from the agencies receiving the data, never made it to the House floor.

Jay a reader at wired.com wrote: Only a matter of time before this is abused just like many other 'laws' that are passed and taken advantage of to spy on U.S. citizens without their consent. Instead of having the people the law effects vote on the issue, they let a bunch of old rich farts in congress, most of which have no idea how the internet works, pass a bill in one of the earlier steps to make George Orwell's 1984 a reality. They seem to not realize this will most likely cause a massive backlash from hackers worldwide. When can I get my bill that lets me spy on anyone I want with immunity? When can the rest of our citizens? Its only fair we make this a two way street considering all of the corruption of government entities. Source: http://profile.yahoo.com/X5BHBDUIJUDF65VBDEYOUIN73A

The bill now heads to the Senate.