US president and the Internet

Filed in archive regulators on June 17, 2010

US legislation, otherwise known as the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act will require broadband providers, search engines or software firms that the US Government selects "shall immediately comply with any emergency measure or action developed" by the Department of Homeland Security.

But as reported here, it gives President Obama the power to shut down the Internet.

Joe Lieberman, primary sponsor of the Bill and chair of the Homeland Security Committee, has defended this extraordinary measure. Lieberman said: "For all of its 'user-friendly' allure, the internet can also be a dangerous place with electronic pipelines that run directly into everything from our personal bank accounts to key infrastructure to government and industrial secrets," he said. "Our economic security, national security and public safety are now all at risk from new kinds of enemies - cyber-warriors, cyber-spies, cyber-terrorists and cyber-criminals."

Of course, if any US president was to pull the switch, it would create economic disaster. Companies and the economy would implode. This is paranoia at its worst. Where is the evidence of any country under attack from cyber-warriors, cyber-spies, cyber-terrorists and cyber-criminals? When has that ever happened?

Alarmingly, this also mirrors plans by the Australian Government to bring in a law that would to require Internet Service Providers to document and save subscriber's web browsing history and keep records of what sites their customers visit online and these browsing histories can be examined by law enforcement agencies if or when requested later on. It would also apply to their emails. It's a subject I have looked at in my Management Line blog.

A clear trend is happening. Governments around the world are cracking down on the Internet. France has moved into Internet censorship and then of course, there are the Chinese. If the US and Australia are moving into this space, how many more can we expect?

Watch this space.