Endless Paradigm

Quote:House of Representatives passes Cispa cybersecurity bill with support of 92 Democrats
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/201...-democrats

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House intelligence committee chairman Mike Rogers, left, with the committee's ranking Democrat, CA "Dutch" Ruppersberger. Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP

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The House of Representatives on Thursday passed legislation meant to help companies and the government share information on cyber threats, even though concerns linger about the amount of protection the bill offers for private information.

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (known as Cispa) passed 288-127, receiving bipartisan support as 92 Democrats voted in favor. But the White House threatened this week to veto the legislation if further civil liberties and privacy protections are not added.

"Wee have a constitutional obligation to defend this nation," said the bill's co-author, intelligence committee chairman Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican, on the House floor, arguing that cyber attacks and espionage, particularly from China, are now the top US national security and economic threats. "This is the answer to empower cyber information sharing to protect this nation, to allow those companies to protect themselves and move on to economic prosperity. If you want to take a shot across China's bow, this is the answer."

However, the House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, reflected concerns shared by the White House and many civil liberties groups, arguing that the bill did not do enough to ensure that companies, in sharing cyber threat data, strip out any personal data of US citizens. "They can just ship the whole kit and caboodle and wee're saying minimize what is relevant to our national security," the California Democrat said. "The rest is none of the government's business."

Trying to put some of the privacy concerns to rest, House intelligence committee leaders endorsed an amendment that made the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice – agencies that are civil, not military – the clearing houses of the digital data exchange. Nonetheless, the future of cybersecurity legislation in the Senate remains unclear, given President Obama's veto threat and a lack of action from Senate Democrats.

Several influential industry groups had come out in support of the bill, including the wireless group CTIA, the US Chamber of Commerce and TechNet, which represents large internet and technology companies.

ZiNgA BuRgA Wrote: [ -> ]Erasing your liberties one by one - well, that's how these things go...

American Government hypocrites...

Davis Wrote: [ -> ]Lot of people forget that it still needs to pass through other things to officially come into effect...