Renewed Push to Give Obama an Internet "Kill Switch"

Renewed Push to Give Obama an Internet "Kill Switch"

www.cbsnews.com

A controversial bill handing President Obama power over privately owned computer systems during a "national cyberemergency," and prohibiting any review by the court system, will return this year.

Internet companies should not be alarmed by the legislation, first introduced last summer by Sens. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), a Senate aide said last week

(visit the link for the full news article)

"We're not trying to mandate any requirements for the entire Internet, the entire Internet backbone,"

What does that even mean?

"crucial components that form our nation's critical infrastructure."

Oh that's clear. Essentially whatever the US government says, at their own discretion, is a "national cyberemergency" will bring kill the internet with a "presidential decree."

I know this has been brought up on ATS before but it's important to bring up once more because it's going to be considered by government yet again. This thing won't go away and EVENTUALLY it will get passed.


www.cbsnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Wait a minute?

So in case the internet is in jeopardy of being brought down....

We are gonna shut it down???

This seems kind of self-defeating doesn't it?

Here is a perfect analogy.

You are in danger of getting wet.

Therefore, to prevent this, we will pour water on you.

See? Problem Solved.

Are we talking just US internet use? or would it be killed for every user worldwide?

Originally posted by Portugoal

"We're not trying to mandate any requirements for the entire Internet, the entire Internet backbone,"

What does that even mean?

"crucial components that form our nation's critical infrastructure."

Seems self-evident to me. If a ‘cyberemergency’ is declared they would shut down or disable access to national infrastructures and not the backbone of the entire internet — the DNS root servers, automated systems, etc.

But I haven’t read the bill. I will do it now. Thanks for the heads-up.

Originally posted by Sparta
Are we talking just US internet use? or would it be killed for every user worldwide?

Don't worry.

There is like a 95% chance it won't happen.

So, make jokes about it.

reply to post by muzzleflash


95% chance it won't happen (until they find a reason to use it just to joke aabout how they were able to pass such a stupid bill and get away with it)

Originally posted by muzzleflash
Here is a perfect analogy.

You are in danger of getting wet.

Therefore, to prevent this, we will pour water on you.

See? Problem Solved.

Ever been at a local swimming pool when it starts raining??
I'm always amazed how many people rush out of the water and seek cover from the rain.

From what I understand...

This will be an American kill-switch and will not influence other nations.
It will not cover only infrastructure. If this were the case they would not be demanding access to private business sectors.
Even if it were, you can bet your butt they'd expand the measures within five years. You will end up like China.

Do you people really still trust them? Look at how various laws have been changed, massaged and manipulated to basically destroy so many of your rights already. Sure, something might start off as a good idea, but a couple of years later that new law you were in favour of is now stopping you from living your life as you wish.

We have the same situation in the UK. We have cops behaving as though they're above the law, lying to government. We have tapping and monitoring everywhere. We have councils using anti-terror legislation to spy on people putting out their rubbish too soon, just so they can fine them.

There is absolutely no reason why a kill-switch is needed. The same could be achieved through individual shut off of infrastructure if an attack happens. Corporations manage it every day, and yet a government cannot? Yeah, right!

Originally posted by detachedindividual
From what I understand...

This will be an American kill-switch and will not influence other nations.
It will not cover only infrastructure. If this were the case they would not be demanding access to private business sectors.
Even if it were, you can bet your butt they'd expand the measures within five years. You will end up like China.

Do you people really still trust them? Look at how various laws have been changed, massaged and manipulated to basically destroy so many of your rights already. ...

There is absolutely no reason why a kill-switch is needed. The same could be achieved through individual shut off of infrastructure if an attack happens. Corporations manage it every day, and yet a government cannot? Yeah, right!

Exactly. And it just keeps getting pushed. Something's going to happen and in the name of national security, this bill is going to be pushed through and then expanded and manipulated so hard you won't even know what it looked liked when it began. National security is great (see Patriot Act).

They don't have a "kill switch" for things like grounding flights in case of suicide hijacker attack, just protocol of who to contact how and when. That's all this would be too. Seems like much ado about nothing.

Though it would be kind of fun to see the wiring on this kill switch. Methinks this bill might have been written by the internet tubes dude.

Considering most of the world is self sufficient in terms of the internet, but most of the world still connects to american servers, this will stifle growth within american internet commerce. As soon as this catches on globally, there will be a rush and a boom of off shore e-commerce. Imo

Additionally, companies like adtran, cisco, juniper, hp, and the likes would have to add code into their proprietary operating systems that run the multiplexers, switches, routers, etc. that would allow remote and administrative access too shut down their equipment, our their equipment would have to authenticate to a remote address to check in and check weather to stay online or disconnect for a certain period of time.

Wbos to say this couldnt be compromised by hackers, or nay I say, exploited by one of our adversaries.

Originally posted by Portugoal
reply to post by muzzleflash

 

95% chance it won't happen (until they find a reason to use it just to joke aabout how they were able to pass such a stupid bill and get away with it)

Touche'

I am not worthy!

Originally posted by backinblack

Ever been at a local swimming pool when it starts raining??
I'm always amazed how many people rush out of the water and seek cover from the rain.

Actually I have seen that!
Holy crap we are screwed!!

There gonna cut us off to prevent us from getting cut off!

Originally posted by Portugoal

"We're not trying to mandate any requirements for the entire Internet, the entire Internet backbone,"

What does that even mean?

"crucial components that form our nation's critical infrastructure."

Oh that's clear. Essentially whatever the US government says, at their own discretion, is a "national cyberemergency" will bring kill the internet with a "presidential decree."

I know this has been brought up on ATS before but it's important to bring up once more because it's going to be considered by government yet again. This thing won't go away and EVENTUALLY it will get passed.


www.cbsnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

For a start this kinda removes the power of free speach as any newsgroup publishing anything the government doesn't like can be classed as a cyberemergency as it could be classed as an act of terrorism. Secondly yes this sounds like it will be affecting the UK as it has the capibility to shutdown the backbone of the internet so it could be used to shutdown the entire net. They really need to classify what is a cyberemergency and answer to the people because thats how they got in power and can be removed from it!!!!

The american government is doing its usual thing and throwing its weight around. In laymans terms its being a bully and trying to take control through fear.

What is the defenition of a terrorist act. The alteration of a mindset through fear to cause disruption.

Doesn't it sound rather fitting when talking about a internet killswitch?

KEEP FREEDOM OF SPEACH!!!

SAVE SITES LIKE THIS!!!

SCREW OBAMA!!!

Originally posted by muzzleflash

Originally posted by Portugoal
reply to post by muzzleflash

 

95% chance it won't happen (until they find a reason to use it just to joke aabout how they were able to pass such a stupid bill and get away with it)

Touche'

I am not worthy!

Originally posted by backinblack

Ever been at a local swimming pool when it starts raining??
I'm always amazed how many people rush out of the water and seek cover from the rain.

Actually I have seen that!
Holy crap we are screwed!!

There gonna cut us off to prevent us from getting cut off!

...yep. They're sneaky like this.

reply to post by detachedindividual

i like your statement that it will not effect other nations ,if you believe this ,you need to open your eyes up to what is going on outside of your own nations borders.world wide the governments are trying to outlaw all downloading and now they want to have full control over the net .our voice of true freedom of speech world wide outlawed by them. talk about the absulute oppression of our rights and freedoms .wake up please.

remember the war measures type act that our governments have issued worldwide in all the nations that are involved in that little farce going on in afganistan.but here is a little piece of info for you 2 nights ago on the news here in canada we watched tony blair the ex head of the british government tell the whole world that they should never have been involved in this little fiasco over there and that he waas sorry for the loss of british soilders stationed over there.he based it on the facts that they were -[lied]- to by the us government.so why are we really over there .lets see oil coming out of their ying yang ,and mountains full of the rarest minerals needed to produce -electronics and computers -all of this info came through yahoo from the U.S. geological survey that they are doing still today as we speak -so if the U.S. can`t buy them out bomb them out instead with the grace of all other nations eyes on them and with their consent.this seems to be the u.s policy we are god so bow to us or else .as to their warmeasures act have you all noticed that their schizoprenia has in incresed so has their power to inpose more and more actions against you the people in these nations called the free world .or have you not noticed their use of full body exrays full of radiation which kills and they really have no way to controll the dose you recieve ,personal patdowns at all airpots ,not being allowed to take the persol items of basic hygene with you if you travel by plane and this is on every average citizen even those who have never broken the laws ,what is wrong with this picture people .
i guess that for these statments here i`m now classed as an outlw or an enemy of the state -um ,last time i heard those wods spoken they were from hitler and the late russian regime where many of the populace dissappeared without a trace .we are now hearing these words more and more from the u.s. government canadian government and all other nations leaders .
by the way they did know this was coming as they the bankers and governments set us up for it again .depression or recession it is all the same word just twisted the meanings around one more time to make it suit their situation again. here come the dirty thirties and this one is going to be far worst than the last one as the banks pulled the same crap they did way back then but they don`t need laws or controls put on them like they do to we the people or sheep. but then too all the government officials abd their advisers are all bankers in disguise ---we have all been royally had people.

The only kill switch Obama needs to have is for the teleprompter. Turn that crap off and spare us your BS please Barry – no more…

There are other useful kill switches I can think of like killing the lights in congress so they can't convene and make more stupid laws; that would be more helpful than the internet switch.

Originally posted by Golf66

There are other useful kill switches I can think of like killing the lights in congress so they can't convene and make more stupid laws; that would be more helpful than the internet switch.

... They already live in darkness so that wouldn't really help These laws will continue to be passed. Don't worry.

my guess is that the NSA, NRO, CIA and the rest of those alphabet soup agencies (and maybe some we don'teven know about) already have the ability to shut down the internet piecemeal or in toto.

there is no way that the folks in charge would let something like the internet run without some sort of executive control "just in case."