Controversial CISA Cybersecurity Bill Passed by US Senate

The CISA bill that allows the US Government to collect personal data without a warrant has been voted in by the Senate by 74 votes to 21, and without amendments that would protect the privacy rights of US citizens. CISA, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a vocal opponent of the bill, “is fundamentally flawed due to its broad immunity clauses, vague definitions, and aggressive spying authorities” and that its approval “reflects the misunderstanding many lawmakers have about technology and security.”

The bill was negotiated in secret, championed outside of the Senate by corporate lobbyers The US Chamber of Commerce, with positive editorials popping up in the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, and gives US intelligence services to gather personal data – including names, addresses, credit card details, and even medical prescription records – from third-parties at will.

While Facebook has been accused of quietly supporting CISA, many major tech companies oppose the bill. Wikimedia, Reddit, Salesforce, DropBox, and Apple have all spoken out against CISA.  We don’t support the current CISA proposal,” a statement from Apple last week reads. “The trust of our customers means everything to us and we don’t believe security should come at the expense of their privacy.”

While the final wording of the bill is still to be determined by a conference of the House of Representatives and the Senate, semantics will not be able to protect against the violations of freedom and privacy of US citizens that CISA will make legal.