Due to the problems going on in Egypt there has been a recent proposal for a “kill switch” to parts of the internet. This “kill switch” would disable parts of the internet to protect US files from outside countries. The decision whether or not to use this switch would be entirely in the hands of the president. Some people are concerned that this would give way to much power to Obama. He would be able to use the switch without congressional approval. By using this switch it would completely disable communication between countries. Things like skype, facebook, and twitter would have to be shutdown. Foreign exchange students would not be able to communicate with their families. It may be a good idea to keep US documents protected but to completely close off communications is another thing entirely. Turning parts of the internet off would be temporary and only last 120 days but it would go against the first amendment and our freedom of speech. Overall this “kill switch” would cause problems all over the globe and it has some kinks that need to be worked out before anything gets passed.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/218622/the_internet_kill_switch_that_isnt.html
1 comment:
This kill switch, with it macho-sounding name, is a poor idea to say the least. Too much power to Obama? How about too power to any president. As for ultra secret government documents in jeopardy, well I was in the military and handled such documents, and they are stored in portable hard drives and stored in safes in special buildings. I assure you, US government secrets are not at risk directly via the internet. The government trots out these excuses when it is seeking to increase control over civil liberties and the powers that be are nervous right now because of what is happening in the Middle East, Wikileaks, and our ailing economy here on the home front. This is why they think they need a "kill switch."
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