Imagine if everything you posted on Facebook or emailed to a friend over gmail were shared with the FBI.
First, it was SOPA. Then PIPA. Now, it's CISPA. And Internet users everywhere are wondering, "Didn't we kill this already?" The acronyms are almost as dizzying as politicians' ignorance about the Internet and how it works. Which is why Congress is yet again poised to pass a really bad bill that will put Big Brother firmly in control of the citizenry's private information.
First, what is CISPA? CISPA is a cyber-spy bill. What the politicians say: it will make us safer. What it will do: allow private companies to spy on us (read our emails, etc.) and share OUR information with any government agency. And CISPA gives these companies broad immunity, so they can't be held accountable if your private information is breached. CISPA is up for a vote this week.
President Obama has threatened to veto CISPA, but we really need the Maine Congressional delegation to take a stand. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree contacted the ACLU of Maine offices promptly this afternoon to let us know that she will vote no to CISPA. Representative Mike Michaud on the other hand is a sponsor of CISPA. He has time to change his mind; the actual vote is tomorrow. Representative Mike Michaud voted NO to CISPA, and we are grateful to him for recognizing the threat this cyber-spy bill posed to Mainers' privacy. Call him at (202) 225-6306. Unfortunately, Representatives Pingree and Michaud sided with Internet freedom, a majority of their colleagues voted for cyber-spying in a late-night vote on Thursday. Now, the debate moves to the Senate. Unfortunately, Senator Susan Collins is co-sponsoring her own version of CISPA. Like Michaud, she could change her mind. Call her at (202) 224-2523. Senator Snowe has been a champion of Internet freedom in the past, standing up for network neutrality when no one else would. But her office declined to share what her views are on CISPA.
It's bad enough that Facebook holds on to our personal information for potentially ever. The privacy policies on Google are scary. But the idea that these companies could turn over all that information to government authorities without a warrant and with complete immunity is truly terrifying.