New Bill Gives Obama ‘Kill Switch’ To Shut Down The Internet

'The federal government would have “absolute power” to shut down the Internet under the terms of a new US Senate bill being pushed by Joe Lieberman, legislation which would hand President Obama a figurative “kill switch” to seize control of the world wide web in response to a Homeland Security directive.

Lieberman has been pushing for government regulation of the Internet for years under the guise of cybersecurity, but this new bill goes even further in handing emergency powers over to the feds which could be used to silence free speech under the pretext of a national emergency.'

http://www.prisonplanet.com/new-bill-gives-obama-kill-switch-to-shut-down-the-internet.html

interesting. could it happen?

It wont happen.

I'm fairly certain the internet doesn't work that way. Strictly speaking there is no single internet, it's a term that refers to many many interwoven networks owned by innumerable different people all over the world, traveling through all sorts of different transmission systems. Obama couldn't shut it down if he wanted to (well I suppose he could but if you're willing to blow up half the country I don't think there's much point in taking the time to pass laws)

Bill name/ID plz?

Originally posted by King Kandy
Bill name/ID plz?

Here's the whole thing:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/33164923/Protecting-Cyberspace-As-A-National-Asset-Act

The teabaggers are right!

Originally posted by Deano

'The federal government would have “absolute power” to shut down the Internet under the terms of a new US Senate bill being pushed by Joe Lieberman, legislation which would hand President Obama a figurative “kill switch” to seize control of the world wide web in response to a Homeland Security directive.

Lieberman has been pushing for government regulation of the Internet for years under the guise of cybersecurity, but this new bill goes even further in handing emergency powers over to the feds which could be used to silence free speech under the pretext of a national emergency.'

http://www.prisonplanet.com/new-bill-gives-obama-kill-switch-to-shut-down-the-internet.html

interesting. could it happen?

Can you explain, technically, how this would work?

How would a US president literally go about this?

Originally posted by inimalist
Can you explain, technically, how this would work?

How would a US president literally go about this?

There'd be a red button under a glass dome that only Obama is able to open.

but i mean after that

what does the button do?

like, stops all wired communication in the nation while simultaneously shutting down all cellular technology...

is that even possible, like even if all ISPs and phone companies were in on it?

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
I'm fairly certain the internet doesn't work that way. Strictly speaking there is no single internet, it's a term that refers to many many interwoven networks owned by innumerable different people all over the world, traveling through all sorts of different transmission systems. Obama couldn't shut it down if he wanted to (well I suppose he could but if you're willing to blow up half the country I don't think there's much point in taking the time to pass laws)

Would it really be that hard to shut down the internet though? Wouldn't you simply need to shut down the servers?

Originally posted by inimalist
but i mean after that

what does the button do?

like, stops all wired communication in the nation while simultaneously shutting down all cellular technology...

is that even possible, like even if all ISPs and phone companies were in on it?

Button would send a signal that would completely shut-down all phone, cable and/or communication companies, all at the same frikken time. Obama is so sick.

I have to say, this strikes me as making the leap from the fact that police are allowed to shut down the street to thinking that the President is secretly plotting to shut down the highways...

Originally posted by Robtard
Button would send a signal that would completely shut-down all phone, cable and/or communication companies, all at the same frikken time. Obama is so sick.

everybody asks "what change?"

BLAM, internet is dead! hows that for change

Originally posted by Robtard
There'd be a red button under a glass dome that only Obama is able to open.

I was being serious though, I read your article and a couple others on the net and I don't understand what exactly is going on to make you present this as a kill switch?

It would derail everything. Too many schools and businesses depend on email.

And many universities have a Text Alert system for emergencies like a campus intruder. Imagine that: Obama facilitated a school shooting because the students didn't get the memo, and got shot in the student union when they would've been barracaded in their apartment.

Also, think of how many gamers and porno-addicts this would upset, it'd be a death-blow in the elections.

Originally posted by jinXed by JaNx
Would it really be that hard to shut down the internet though? Wouldn't you simply need to shut down the servers?

All of them? That involves facing down individual citizens, major corporations and other countries. I doubt many of those people are going to back down. The alternative is to just destroy all the servers in the US (still impossible) and then destroy all connections to the outside world (also impossible).

You also can't keep the internet shut down. Servers built with 1970s era technology were just the size of a desk, they're much smaller and more powerful today. The internet would be knocked back to usenet levels but it would still exist unless Obama also destroys all connections between places in the US (cut all the phone lies, destroy all the satellites etc)

So basically to believe this is a threat of any sort you have to accept that Obama is going to crush the population US beneath his heel, wrecking the nation's entire infrastructure in the process. And really if you believe that then you have to wonder why he's passing laws and not rolling tanks across your lawn.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
All of them? That involves facing down individual citizens, major corporations and other countries. I doubt many of those people are going to back down. The alternative is to just destroy all the servers in the US (still impossible) and then destroy all connections to the outside world (also impossible).

You also can't keep the internet shut down. Servers built with 1970s era technology were just the size of a desk, they're much smaller and more powerful today. The internet would be knocked back to usenet levels but it would still exist unless Obama also destroys all connections between places in the US (cut all the phone lies, destroy all the satellites etc)

So basically to believe this is a threat of any sort you have to accept that Obama is going to crush the population US beneath his heel, wrecking the nation's entire infrastructure in the process. And really if you believe that then you have to wonder why he's passing laws and not rolling tanks across your lawn.

the bill creates a new office of interney policy or someting that all network and maybe communication companies have to comply with, and who, during a time of emergency, would have nearly direct control over these bodies (I couldn't find the exact specifics, but lets say its complete). If he had people's 100% compliance, couldn't he just declare an emergency and have that infrastructure cut off?

he knows if he shuts down internet he isnt gonna get re elected. dont think he will get re elected anyways.

Originally posted by inimalist
the bill creates a new office of interney policy or someting that all network and maybe communication companies have to comply with, and who, during a time of emergency, would have nearly direct control over these bodies (I couldn't find the exact specifics, but lets say its complete). If he had people's 100% compliance, couldn't he just declare an emergency and have that infrastructure cut off?

"The owners and operators of covered critical infrastructure shall have flexibility to implement any security measure, or combination thereof, to satisfy the security performance requirements described in subparagraph (A) and the Director may not disapprove under this section any proposed security measures, or combination thereof, based on the presence or absence of any particular security measure if the proposed security measures, or combination thereof, satisfy the security performance requirements established by the Director under this section." (page 75, the section is 248)

So it seems that as long as they do something the office has very limited powers. Their sphere of absolute control is government offices that aren't part of the DoD.