President could get power to turn off Internet

Zeb_Carter

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Obama 'Internet kill switch' plan approved by US Senate panel
President could get power to turn off Internet

By Grant Gross
Published: 11:02 GMT, 25 June 10

A US Senate committee has approved a wide-ranging cybersecurity bill that some critics have suggested would give the US president the authority to shut down parts of the Internet during a cyberattack.

Senator Joe Lieberman and other bill sponsors have refuted the charges that the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act gives the president an Internet "kill switch." Instead, the bill puts limits on the powers the president already has to cause "the closing of any facility or stations for wire communication" in a time of war, as described in the Communications Act of 1934, they said in a breakdown of the bill published on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee website.

The committee unanimously approved an amended version of the legislation by voice vote Thursday, a committee spokeswoman said. The bill next moves to the Senate floor for a vote, which has not yet been scheduled.
 
No he couldn't.

He might at the very most get the mandate to shut down ISPs or nodes within the United States.

That's not "the Internet".

I'll still have Internet whatever the US President does.

Neener neener. :D
 
No he couldn't.

He might at the very most get the mandate to shut down ISPs or nodes within the United States.

That's not "the Internet".

I'll still have Internet whatever the US President does.

Neener neener. :D

Yep, it only applies to the US internet.

Neener neener. :D
 
And then we huff and puff and criticise the Chinese for censoring Google.:rolleyes:

Someone needs to get control of the security fanatics who suggested this.
 
Why is anyone surprised by this?

The President has the power to drop a nuclear bomb on any city in the world, and some people are worried that he might turn off the internet?

I guess a nuclear explosion would be okay, as long as it doesn't interfere with wi-fi access.
 
Why is anyone surprised by this?

The President has the power to drop a nuclear bomb on any city in the world, and some people are worried that he might turn off the internet?

I guess a nuclear explosion would be okay, as long as it doesn't interfere with wi-fi access.

Uh, could that city be Washington, DC?

Talk about a win, win situation. :D
 
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