The Senate quietly passed a bill Tuesday they claimed is aimed at improving cybersecurity by encouraging companies and the government to share information about threats.
But civil liberties advocates are angry, saying the government is using this bill to gather secret information from major US companies on their customers. And citizens aren’t allowed to know what information on them is being shared, and with whom.
The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act passed by a 74-21 vote. It overcame concerns about privacy and transparency from voters, civil liberty organizations and major technology companies, such as Apple and Yelp.
Before passing the bill, the Senate rejected amendments limiting information sharing, including one addressing concerns that companies could give the government personal information about their customers. Another failed amendment would have eliminated part of the bill that would keep secret information about which companies participate and what they share with the government.
Companies would receive legal protections from antitrust and consumer privacy liabilities.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who opposed the bill, offered an amendment addressing privacy concerns, but it failed to pass. It would have required companies to make “reasonable efforts” to remove unrelated personal information about their customers before providing the data to the government.
“You just can’t hand it over,” Wyden said. “You’ve got to take affirmative steps, reasonable, affirmative steps, before you share personal information.”
Senators also rejected an amendment Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., had offered that would have removed a provision to keep secret more information about materials that companies provide to the government. Leahy criticized the bill’s new exemption from the U.S. Freedom of Information Act as overly broad because it pre-empts state and local public information requests, and it was added without public debate.
The Sunshine in Government Initiative, a Washington organization that promotes open government policies, urged the Senate last week to support Leahy’s amendment.
Despite the lengthy road to pass the Senate bill, it’s unclear whether it would improve Internet security.
“Passing the bill will have no effect on improving cybersecurity,” said Alan Paller, director of research for the SANS Institute.
The U.S. and the technology industry already operate groups intended to improve sharing of information among the government and businesses, including the Homeland Security Department’s U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team.
“What this bill means is more internet users’ personal information being funneled, will be directed to, the National Security Agency under a cybersecurity umbrella,” said Greg Nojeim, senior counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology, a Washington-based civil liberties group.
The White House has said it supports the information-sharing bill.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
Sickening.
Yes. But not surprising.
Once again our congress is passing bills that are requiring private citizens information.
I request this bill be defeated. They have enough information.
look up just WHO exactly voted for this bill, and why they did. they need to be removed from public office IMMEDIATELY! this “Socialism” needs to end, and end NOW!
sooner or later most people are going to wake up and get rid of the Washington elite and vote in all new persons. People that may actually care about this country. That is the USA that I grew up with. The way this administration is going, the USA is going to look like Greece or Spain eco calmly and the unnamed countries for what we will appear to be. and that will not be the strong unified country that we once were, not with what they are making us become
Whenever Congress passes a bill “quietly” that the media doesn’t go ballistic over, you know it is bad for the public. I suggest you write, call or fax your senators and representatives asking how/why they would vote for such a bill. Chances are they won’t respond and if they do you will get some lame excuse. Tell them they have lost your support if they voted yes on it.
these clowns can barely email each other, what makes them think they can write a cyber security bill??
It Appears We Are The Enemy
Once again government has shown that it can ruin a good thing. It is safe to say the information will be collected and used by government bureaucrats to spy on political adversaries. We’ve already seen the IRS’s efforts at dealing with those who opposed this president.
It is safe to say that you should expect any electronic communication or transaction to be collected and stored by the government. This includes emails, phone calls, credit card transactions and checks written. Any file stored online is subject to government snooping. Any passwords stored online are subject to government snooping. Keep in mind that your cell phone is an electronic tracking collar; it pings its location several times a second. This isn’t an attempt to be paranoid, but it is an attempt to remind people who desire privacy several ways they surrender their privacy every day.
Citizens (cattle / sheep) are the enemy terrorist of fake U.S. Incorporated so-called “Government!”
Concerning the ‘cyber security’ bill that has passed or is in the process of becoming law: sickening is an adequate word to use. Does anyone ever read the fine print or research any issue before something gets that far?