US Senator Jay Rockefeller is currently working on a bill that, if passed, will drastically increase the power held by the federal government over the internet.Designed as a law to enable federal takeover of large parts of cyberspace in event of a national security crisis, it identifies "critical" elements of the private sector that might be vulnerable. It gives the government authority over information sharing and personnel hiring. Proponents compare it to the power that President Bush exercised after 9/11 to ground air traffic.
Critics argue that this is another attempt by a left wing government to extend its power over America's private sector. Larry Clinton of the Internet Security Alliance told Declan McCullough of CBS News that the vagueness of the bill invites maximum infringement upon property, personal, and other rights. This group, which includes representatives from Verizon, Carnegie Mellon University, and others, has expressed repeated concerns over increased control from an administration already noted as failing in most areas of cybersecurity.
Vague laws undermine the concept of rule of law that is critical to our freedom. If a law is written loosely enough, it can be applied to many situations where enforcement to protect or maintain order is not required. The federal government would love to see the internet regarded more like broadcast radio and television than print. That way it can regulate it without regard to the Bill of Rights.
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