The CISPA-esque Cybersecurity legislation that would end all privacy in The Internet in the Senate might have dropped off the radar, but is still very alive. Before Congress’ most recent break, two bills were battling for support on the Senate Floor. The first, sponsored by Joe Lieberman, is called The Cybersecurity Act of 2012 (s.2105). The second, sponsored by John McCain, is called the SECURE IT Act (s.2151). Support for the bills was split along party lines, and neither had secured enough support to bring either bill to a vote. Right before the break began, Senator McCain re-introduced the SECURE IT Act as s.3342, which claimed to address both the partisan concerns of the Democratic party, and the privacy concerns raised by organizations like us. Spoiler alert: our privacy concerns have not been addressed.
Senator Harry Reid is eager to bring CISPA-esque legislation to a vote (http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/232227-reid-says-senate-will-soon-take-up-cybersecurity-bill) and if this revamped SECURE IT address the Democrat’s concerns, then we don’t have much time. Brace yourselves… a vote on SECURE IT is coming.
Back in June, Redditors helped to stall the bill this far into July by making calls and setting up meetings.
The most important part of the strategy to kill CISPA and the most effective way to get a Senator to take our concerns seriously is an in person meeting with one of their staff members. So, we’ve set up 8 meetings in 7 states that we want Redditors to attend. Check out the list below, and if you see a meeting that you can attend please send an e-mail to FFTFmeetings@gmail.com with your name and the meeting you’d like to attend (this is a security precaution all Senator’s offices take)
Meetings: WI – Milwaukee – 7/12 @ 1pm meeting w/ Ron Johnson’s regional director. MD – Baltimore – 7/12 @ 1pm meeting w/ Ben Cardin’s regional director MT – Missoula – 7/13 @ 1pm, meeting w/ Max Baccus’s regional director TN – Nashville – 7/10 @ 1pm, meeting w/ Lamar Alexander’s field representative. IA – Des Moines – 7/10 @ 3:30pm, meeting w/ Chuck Grassley (co-sponsor of the SECURE IT Act) TX – Austin – 7/10 @ 10am, meeting w/ John Cornyn’s staff. TX – Houston – 7/13 @ 1pm, meeting w/ John Cornyn’s staff.
Questions people should ask:
- Why is the DoD’s DIB information sharing program inadequate? What value add is there when our critical infrastructure and their IT support already has an information sharing program with Cyber Command?
- DoD set to share your cyber info to 1,000 contractors even without CISPA. Comment period open until 7/10
- DoD expands cyber info-sharing pilot with defense companies
- This should especially be played up for conservative senators. These cybersecurity bills (esp Cybersecurity Act 2012) look like just more ineffective government regulation.
- Is privacy and cybersecurity a false choice? Try to ask them to talk to and work with Senator Wyden. More than anyone else, he has represented our values.
- Will they fight FISA? A bill that retroactively legalized NSA spying?
- TYT: Is The Government Spying On You? FISA Continues
- ACLU: Why the FISA Amendments Act Is Unconstitutional
- House Judiciary Subcmte. Debates FISA Amendments Reauthorization
- A Review of Today’s Important House Hearing on Warrantless Wiretapping and the FISA Amendments Act
- Home>News>Press Releases Wyden Places Hold on FISA Amendments Act Extension
- Tell your members of Congress: Fix FISA
Keep fighting the good fight! Also, I’d like to plug /r/EvolutionReddit, where we’re focusing on keeping redditors up to date on issues like cybersecurity and online freedom :)
Bonus links:
- Cybersecurity Regulation — How Significant is the Threat?
- CISPA Action List
- Cybersecurity Round Two – Reddit Hivemind vs. US Senate | There are four cybersecurity bills in the Senate. We must not get outflanked by focusing only on CISPA.
- fightforthefuture
