CISPA Unlikely To Pass In Current Form

When CISOA passed through the American House of Representatives it sparked outrage across the internet community and across many civil rights and liberty groups. However, a recent report suggests that CISPA will not reach the American Senate in the same form as that which was passed through the House of Representatives.

CISPA passed last week with support from all parties despite the fact the White House had issued a veto threat if privacy and civil liberty issues weren’t addressed. CISPA is expected to be stalled in the Senate as they debate each part of the CISPA draft. It is expected that many parts will be thrown out and many other parts will be drafted into new bills.

In its current form, CISPA gives businesses and federal agencies the right to share information regarding “cybersecurity threats” which is in itself an incredibly subjective term open to abuse. There was strong business interests in CISPA as it deflects much of the responsibility and cost for them, in terms of investigating threats and acting on cybersecurity issues.

The main argument against CISPA is that it is believed it will compromise online security and offer protection to companies that share sensitive user data with the government. On Monday the 22nd of April nearly 400 websites joined in a blackout protest organised by Anonymous against CISPA, and even though this wasn’t as widespread as the blackout reaction to SOPA last year, it was still seen and heard.

Internet users will no doubt continue to lobby their representatives to put pressure on the Senate and most internet users hope this bill will never pass. Most major companies have been absent from the protest because there is so much for them to gain by supporting CISPA. However, it seems the real threat is of new off-shoot bills passing through unnoticed such as the “information sharing bill” currently being drafted.

What are your thoughts on the news that CISPA is unlikely to pass through the U.S Senate? What are your thoughts on the possibility of new draft bills and acts to help get CISPAs measures through under different names?

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